They share many of the attributes that helped Tim Horan become a Wallabies great, but son Alex has been encouraged to play with freedom and “make his own way” when he debuts for the Sunwolves on Saturday.
Horan was added to the Tokyo-based squad less than a month before the Super Rugby season kicked off and has quickly moved up the pecking order, set to wear the No.15 in New Zealand against the Hurricanes.
Father Tim Horan played 80 Tests for his country and 119 times for the Reds, becoming a potent force in the centres during a golden period for Australian rugby.
But on Friday he was just another nervous father boarding a plane to watch Alex’s debut from the stands in Napier.
Horan was happy to let his son’s rugby do the talking when contacted by AAP, leaving Queensland Reds coach Brad Thorn to sing Alex’s praises.
“I coached Alex in under-20s; he’s a great kid and like Tim a physical guy, highly skilled and I think fullback really suits him,” Thorn said.
“It’s pretty cool; his father’s done so much but this is his time now and he’ll be trying to make his own way.
“There’s no weight on his shoulders, it’s just him enjoying his footy.”
The 22-year-old impressed in the National Rugby Championship for Brisbane City and Canberra but has had to venture overseas to earn his first Super Rugby crack.
The Sunwolves won’t feature in Super Rugby beyond this year, axed by SANZAAR after after the JRFU withdrew its funding for the team.
It’s an opportune platform for Horan to prove himself though, with the opportunity to play in Brisbane also an incentive after the Sunwolves’ March 14 home game against the Crusaders was shifted to Suncorp Stadium because of coronavirus safety measures.