Peter Horne will slot right back into the Glasgow Warriors line-up as his boyhood friend Chris Fusaro makes a welcome return for tonight’s Guinness PRO12 match with bottom club Zebre at Scotstoun.
Horne, who played at fly-half for Scotland in last week’s defeat to Italy, has the chance to get back in the saddle as head coach Gregor Townsend shows faith in him at 10 for the visit of another Italian side.
This one, however, is the team that Horne unpicked successfully in a PRO12 match just three weeks ago, scoring 20 points and winning the man of the match award in the corresponding fixture in Parma won handsomely by the Warriors 54-10.
It is the ideal game for Horne to get over the disappointment of last week, as Zebre have yet to win away and were routed 54-0 on their visit to Scotstoun last season.
Horne is one of four players who took part against the Italians to come back to the Warriors but there is added interest in the return of another international, Horne’s fellow Howe of Fife old boy Fusaro.
The open-side suffered an ankle injury in the home European Rugby Champion Cup tie with Toulouse in December but is now fit to return after a three-month break.
The others coming from the Scotland team into the Warriors side are Sean Lamont, Rob Harley in the second row for a change and prop Ryan Grant.
“We’re expecting a very tough game from a Zebre side who have shown a lot of improvement in the past two weeks and had a good win against the Dragons last weekend,” said Townsend.
“We’ll have to be fully focused, with just six games left of the regular season we know the importance of each match as we look to try and qualify for the play-offs.
“We’re delighted to be able to include Chris once again and welcome back four players who were involved with Scotland.”
Niko Matawalu returns to scrum-half where he linked up with Horne in successive matches last month; Lamont comes in for Richie Vernon and links up with Connor Braid.
Glasgow are without Pat McArthur, who is recovering from a head knock and the suspended Leone Makarawa. With Tim Swinson among those originally released back to Scotstoun from the Scotland squad but then recalled, it means a rare start in his original position of lock for Harley.
Glasgow team: Peter Murchie; Lee Jones, Sean Lamont, Connor Braid, DTH van der Merwe; Peter Horne, Niko Matawalu; Ryan Grant, Kevin Bryce, Rossouw de Klerk; Rob Harley, Al Kellock (capt); Adam Ashe, Chris Fusaro, Josh Strauss.
Replacements: Dougie Hall, Alex Allan, Zander Fagerson, James Eddie, Will Bordill, Ali Price, Richie Vernon, Glenn Bryce.