IF the saying is right and it is all in the blood, then Glasgow have a double ace up their collective sleeves in the shape of Stuart Hogg, their rejuvenated full back.

Not only has the 22-year-old put a nightmare year behind him to rediscover the form that got him on the 2013 British & Irish Lions tour, but when he arrives in Belfast for the Guinness PRO12 final, he is hoping to run into "some sort of cousins" who also happen to be the family of the city's most famous sportsman.

Being from the same bloodline as George Best has lots going for it anyway but with the PRO12 authorities having decided to host the season's climax in the football star's home city, it could be enough to sway the local fans. They had hoped to see their own side taking to the field but are now having to pick between the links across the sea to Glasgow or the all-Ireland connections of Munster, and that connection may be enough to tilt the balance.

"The family are very big supporters of Ulster and Glasgow, I imagine they'll support us this week," Hogg said. "It's a great family to have and I'm looking forward to it. We see each other a lot and it'll be great to catch up again. Dad always wanted to find his family and it all came about through me being capped. We've been making up for lost time, I assure you."

Family connections are all very well and maybe there were signs of that dazzling footwork and ball control in the way Hogg grabbed his try and launched his side into their final assault a couple of weeks ago to make sure they finished top of the league, but maybe there were also signs of that self destructive side in the way everything seemed to be falling apart a year ago.

"Being young and inexperienced, at times emotions play a massive part but it's how you channel those emotions and use them in a positive manner," he said. "As a team we're playing really well and I'm happy I can play a small part in that. We need another big performance this weekend, we've put ourselves on the line and we're targeting being the first Scottish side to win a trophy. We're in a good position to do that, so hopefully we have a good training week and at the weekend just get right into it and get the win.

"I think I've learned a lot from last season and I just focus very much on becoming a better person and a better rugby player. I think this season I've done that."

It was undoubtedly hard for him. He had had the experience of the Lions tour, but the season when he came back was a bit of a struggle all round, with fitness issues never far away, and it all hit a low point when he was sent off playing for Scotland in Cardiff as his frustration at a misfiring team performance got the better of him.

Then there were the pictures of him talking to officials in Ulster that sparked rumours he was about to shift clubs and it all culminated in Hogg being all-but discarded by the Glasgow coaches for the end-of-season run-in leaving him a frustrated spectator for the final against Leinster at the RDS.

It is, therefore, a tribute to Hogg's honesty that after taking a long hard look at himself over the summer, he came back so strongly, though he does feel there is more to come from the back division, even though the likes of Alex Dunbar and Mark Bennett are on the injured list

"We talk a lot about being connected as a backline to carve up teams," Hogg said. "A few times we've found ourselves very much as individuals and maybe that's something that doesn't work for us. It's also something we work very hard at. We didn't have a lot of ball last week in an area we could really play in, and at times we maybe got a little bit frustrated that it wasn't coming as much as we'd like. But we'll continue to work hard.

"We have targeted being the first Scottish team to win a title and have worked incredibly hard all season to get where we are. It's going to take one more game and a big effort to get the trophy. We've got a few guys leaving and we'd like a win for them as well. We've not been in a position to save ourselves for the final. We're just looking forward to another big effort."

There is no fooling themselves, it is not going to be easy, but when you have the Best genes in Belfast, that spark of brilliance maybe enough.