GUTTED Glasgow Warriors centre Peter Horne has insisted his team can bounce back from the disappointment of losing their PRO12 crown.

The champions failed to find their best form on Saturday, when they lost 16-11 to Connacht in the play-off semi-final. Defeat brought to an end four seasons of steady improvement, but Horne is convinced his team have it in them to come back stronger next season.

“Everyone in the dressing room knows that we can still get better by 10 or 20 per cent,” the Scotland back said after his 100th appearance for the Warriors ended in bitter disappointment. “We’ve barely fired at all this season. We blew teams away in a couple of games, but apart from that we have played in dribs and drabs.

“We’ve got more than enough firepower to compete. We just have to make sure we work really hard in the pre-season. It will be good to get everyone together right from the start, go into those dark places and work to make sure we improve and we hit the ground running at the start of next season.”

The match got off to a worrying start for the Warriors when Finn Russell and Zander Fagerson collided in the opening minute, clashed heads and needed to be substituted. Fagerson was well enough to join his team-mates on the flight home that night, but Russell was hospitalised with what was suspected to be a cheekbone fracture. He is expected to be out of action for several months and will miss Scotland’s tour to Japan.

Duncan Weir replaced Russell and scored a penalty in either half of what was his last game for Glasgow before joining Edinburgh. Leone Nakarawa, who is leaving for French club Racing 92, got the Warriors’ other points with a second-half touchdown. But Connacht were never behind in the match, and deserved to go through to their first final, against Leinster at BT Murrayfield on Saturday.

“We were distraught,” Horne added. “The changing room was gutted. It’s a tough way for the boys who are leaving to be sent off.

“We need to get better. We need to improve, and we will for next season I’m sure.

“We want to be winning every game we’re involved in. That result doesn’t sit well with us at all.

“But credit to Connacht - they played some great rugby and they have stuck with it all year. Today they put us under a lot of pressure and kept the scoreboard ticking over.”

Stand-off Aj MacGinty gave Connacht the lead with a penalty before Weir equalised, then winger Niyi Adeolokun scored a try which MacGinty converted to make the half-time score 10-3. After Nakarawa’s try brought the Scots back to within two points, two more MacGinty penalties either side of one from Weir kept Connacht’s noses in front.

“In the ten minutes after half-time we finally got into our shape and we cut them to pieces,” Horne added. “If we could have kept a hold of the ball and got into our rhythm I think we could have scored a few tries, but such is life.

“There is plenty to work on and that result will definitely spur us on next season. It was tough, but we certainly left a lot of chances out there. We’re disappointed, but it will spur us on to do better.”