Is Francke Horn the next Gary Teichmann? Lions star making compelling Springbok case

Western Cape rugby nursery Paarl Boys’ High has a knack for turning out world-class No 8s. Fairly recent Springboks Evan Roos and Cameron Hanekom are among them, and a third Boishaai product, Francke Horn, is busy making a case to join them in the Green and Gold.

The understated and underrated Horn is leading the Lions in their best-ever season in the United Rugby Championship (URC), while his ability to provide a seamless link between forwards and backs is reminding Rassie Erasmus that he has a classic No 8 at his disposal. Horn could well be taking the Springbok coach back to his captain in the great Springbok team of 1998, Gary Teichmann.

No 8 is the one position where the Boks do not have the richest of depth. This was reflected by Erasmus’s use of several flanks at No 8 when his first-choice, Jasper Wiese, was suspended and his second choice, Hanekom, was injured — Kwagga Smith, Marco van Staden, Siya Kolisi, and Cobus Wiese all had turns starting at No 8 in 2025.

It is the 26-year-old Horn’s ability to break the line, or support ball carriers over long distances, that has caught the eye. He is lean at 1.90m and 103kg and has an astonishing turn of pace that he can sustain for the length of the field. That should make him a perfect match for the growing attacking game that Tony Brown is developing for the Boks, especially when the game opens up in the latter stages.

Horn’s father was a fullback for the Boland Kavaliers; hence, Francke started at fullback, flyhalf, and inside-centre.

“When I was 11, they moved me to No 8. That day, I scored three tries. Since then, I haven’t moved anywhere else,” Horn said.

Speaking after a storming game against Edinburgh last week, Horn says the Lions’ sparkling attack is by design, not accident.

“With a run of games against overseas teams ahead of us, we have been working hard in the forwards on keeping the ball alive. We want to minimise breakdowns because that gives them a chance to recover.

"Behind the scenes, there has been a lot of work identifying whether it is on or not. We actually had a lot of fun with some of the tries we scored against Edinburgh. We will look at where it clicked so we can build on it.”

The Lions scored an extraordinary try seconds before half-time when — after a heavy defensive shift ended with a penalty awarded to them — they took a tap and scored at the other end of the field.

“When we got the penalty, I was off the field and was thinking we should just kick it out. I am not sure who made the call, but it just shows you where we are in our preparation because we are always trying to identify space and have a go, no matter where we are,” Horn explained.

Horn added that winning the SA Shield was a special milestone: “Since joining the Lions in 2020, this is my first silverware.

"It has been a personal goal. We are happy with where we are, but the job is only half done.”