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Glasgow fans can only feel shortchanged at the sight of Stuart Hogg lining up against them on Saturday
In the hours after Scotland’s heinous World Cup exit, a crestfallen Stuart Hogg fronted up to the media with typical frankness and then sent a text to Rob Baxter, his new director of rugby at Exeter Chiefs.
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“What’s the plan?” asked the full-back. He told Baxter he was itching to rip into training, desperate to get back on the field, eager to salve the deep wounds inflicted in Japan by storming into life at his new club.
Hogg rocked up at the Sandy Park gym the day after landing back in the UK. He tore into the sessions and made his debut in a slugfest at Bath a week later. In his three Premiership games, he has racked up 308 metres with the ball in hand and made eight clean breaks.
In the European Champions Cup opener, a bristling 31-12 hammering of La Rochelle in France last weekend, it was his outrageous 80-metre touch-finder, rather than the wizardry of his attack, that was worthy of clipping up for the highlights. This is the brilliance, core skill and sheer bloody-mindedness that Glasgow Warriors have lost – and it is a colossal loss.
Coming up against their great departed hero, as they will in Champions Cup Pool 2 this Saturday, will hurt. There will be no malcontent towards Hogg from the Warriors fans at Sandy Park – not after the glory and the joy he brought them for nine years – but there will be a sense of bereavement amid a growing alarm about where their team is heading.
(Continue reading below…)
These are pivotal times at Scotstoun, the announcement of a new head coach met with a lukewarm response this week and plans to expand the stadium in the pipeline. The worry is that while, off the field, things are rosier than ever, on it, the club is in danger of stagnating. The diminished attacking threat and lack of game-breaking ruthlessness was evident in their turgid 13-7 win over a depleted Sale Sharks.
Since the last World Cup, Leone Nakarawa, Josh Strauss, Finn Russell and Hogg have gone and now Dave Rennie, their very highly regarded coach, is following them out of the door come the end of the season. The level of expectancy set by growth and finals and raucous nights at Scotstoun is high. There is mounting angst among fans who relentlessly sell out the stadium that their big names have not been adequately replaced.
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They feel short-changed by the losses of Nakarawa and Strauss and Russell and Hogg and Rennie, and the lack of stardust arriving to replace them. Even the appointment of Scotland forwards coach Wilson, who proved himself a fine operator at Wales under-20s and Cardiff Blues, was widely lamented as Scottish Rugby rushing to take the easy option rather than going big and global.
In the past two years, Edinburgh, with a smaller average attendance and until Richard Cockerill grabbed them by the scruff, a wretched recent history, have managed to fight off French suitors to keep hold of Bill Mata, re-signed Hamish Watson, brought John Barclay in, kept Mark Bennett and Matt Scott happy and recruited more overseas talent over the summer that is already making a tangible difference.
When did Glasgow last push the boat out to land a big player? When was their last ‘statement’ signing? Has Wilson got the profile and the network to attract top names? What if Adam Hastings, their play-maker pivot, or Tommy Seymour, running at full-back in place of Hogg, gets injured? Has the money saved by getting big earners like Hogg and Alex Dunbar off the wage bill in the summer been entirely hoovered up by fatter deals handed to emerging talent?
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It is both necessary and entirely sensible for Glasgow to prioritise the development of their own youngsters over burning up a relatively small budget on a couple of superstars. Russells and Hoggs don’t grow on trees and nor do they come cheap.
The jury is out on whether or not Scotland assistant Wilson is an inspired or uninspired appointment by Glasgow
https://t.co/eRpgRvNlzj— RugbyPass (@RugbyPass) November 21, 2019
George Horne, Scott Cummings, Matt Fagerson and Hastings are maturing into fantastic players. That young, hungry Scottish core is vital. But to take the next steps in Europe and the PRO14, they are going to need more. They are going to need game-breakers and match-winners.
Exeter and Baxter see Hogg, the sort of marquee acquisition they very seldom make, as pivotal to their Champions Cup ambitions. Only once have this wonderfully constructed English juggernaut made it out of their pool and never have they gone beyond the quarter-finals.
“This is the decision you have got to make – you have got to try and decide, do you want to win the big games and maybe the gamble you take is you have that one less forward who may be a bigger influence in wet-weather games,” Baxter said earlier this month.
It's time for Exeter to **** or get off the pot in Europe
– writes @alexshawsport (in so many words)https://t.co/lGgaoDzBw3
— RugbyPass (@RugbyPass) November 21, 2019
“That is what decided to do with Stuart. We decided to go for match-winners to give us that bit of cutting edge in big games where maybe we have just come up that little bit short. And we have got to back the rest of the squad to be able to help us get there and battle our way through certain games – including Stuart – when things might not be quite how we want to be, but we have got a bigger plan for the whole season.
“It’s something we have looked at for quite a while. It’s really important to try to assess where you get a bit of real input – but for value – within your team. You can hold it together, say through the winter period or through the difficult periods, to be where you kind of need to be when semi-finals and finals get played. And when semi-finals and finals get played, there will be more and more opportunities for quality backs to have an influence on the game.
“It’s a little bit tough now – Stuart’s first game was basically at Bath in a gale and constant rain. His job as a full-back was probably more just to catch the ball and kick it, and his influence is going to be limited. That won’t be the same in the latter stages of either Europe or the Premiership when big games come around.”
It is in these big games where Hogg’s impact will be most keenly felt and, for Glasgow, his absence most painfully abundant.
WATCH: The RugbyPass Ventures series sees Stuart Hogg introduce his clothing line, Johnstons of Elgin
Comments on RugbyPass
Gee my Highlanders were terrible. They have gone backwards since the start of the season. The trouble began when we left Millar behind to prep as the 10 against the Brumbies and he was disconnected from the team that came back from Aussie. We rested Patchell for that game and we blew an avalanche of ball in good attacking positions in the 1st half. Against the Rebels we seem to of gone into a pod system with forwards hanging off from the breakdown leaving Fakatava to secure our ball!
72 Go to commentsPot Kettle, the English and French teams have done it for years.
19 Go to commentsHas virtually played every minute of previous games. Back row of Li Lo Willie , Grace and Blackadder would be the 1. Crusaders issue is a very average 1st 5 who cannot run. Kicking in general play is also below par They need to put Yong Kemara in. He must have so.e talent for them to bring him down from Waikato. Hoehepa would struggle to play in so.e club sided
4 Go to commentsI hope this a good thing making all these changes!
2 Go to commentsThe Hurricanes are good, especially with a decent coach now. However, let’s be real, the Crusaders and Chiefs are clearly a good degree weaker without the players they’ve lost overseas now. The Canes lost one player. It’s also why the aussie teams ‘seem’ to be stronger.
9 Go to commentsOr you could develop your own players instead of constantly taking from the SH competition and weakening it in the process? With all the player and financial resources these unions have compared to SH countries you’d think they could manage that, or is weakening the SH comps and their national sides an added bonus? Probably.
3 Go to commentsNot so fast Aaron, we might need you in black yet lol. God knows he’d be a lot less nerve-racking than hot and (very) cold players like Perofeta. It’s really a shame Reuben Love isn’t playing 10, we’ve got enough 15 options.
4 Go to commentsAnd those from the NH still seem to be puzzled (and delighted) why NZ’s depth isn’t what it once was. Over 600 NZ players overseas, that’s insane. This sort of deal is why Super Rugby coaches have admitted they struggle now to find enough quality to fill out their squads.
6 Go to commentsArticle intéressant ! La question devrait régulièrement se poser pour les jeunes français originaires de Nouvelle-Calédonie, Wallis-et-Futuna et de Polynésie entre la Nouvelle-Zélande et la Métropole… Difficile pour la fédération française de rugby de se positionner : soit le choix est fait de dénicher les jeunes talents et de les faire venir très tôt en Métropole, au risque de les déraciner, soit on prend le risque de se les faire “piller” par les All Blacks qui, telle une araignée, essaye de récupérer tous les talents des îles du Pacifique… À la France de se défendre en développant l’aura du XV de France et des clubs français dans ses collectivités d’Outre-mer !
3 Go to commentsWrong bay. He needs to come to the REAL BAY which is Bay Of Plenty and have a crack at making the Chiefs.
3 Go to commentsIs Barrett going play full back??? They already have all the centers…
15 Go to commentsForgive my ignorance, I might not fully understand so would appreciate clarification: Didn’t the Bulls have to fly with three different carriers, paid for by the South African Rugby Union, whilst Edinburgh got a chartered flight sponsored by EPCR? Also, as far as I understand it South African teams don’t yet share in the revenue from the competition and are not allowed to host Semi-finals or Finals at home. Surely if everyone wants South Africans to “take the competition seriously” then they must make South Africans feel welcome, allow them to share in the revenue, and give them the same levels of access as the teams from the other countries. Just a reminder that South Africa has a large and passionate Rugby audience. Just by virtue of our teams being a part of these competitions means that more of us are likely to watch the knockout games, even if our teams haven’t qualified. It would be silly to alienate such a large audience by making them feel unwelcome.
19 Go to commentsFirst of all. This guy is very much behind the curve. All the bleating, whingeing, whining and moaning took place days ago already. Not adding anything to the topic other than more bleating, whingeing, whining and moaning. 🍼 Second of all, not one mention of the fact that South African teams can’t get home semi finals or finals. The tournament was undermined and devalued by the administrators. 🤡 Thirdly, football teams often have to juggle selections in mid week games, premier games, champions league games etc. and will from time to time prioritize certain titles over others. 🐒 And lastly FEK Neil, and anyone else for that matter, for insisting on telling teams how to manage themselves. If they make what is largely a business decision that suits them and doesn’t suit you - tough shite. 💩 It’s not rocket science as to why the Bulls did what they did. If this guy is too slow to figure it out (and is deliberately not mentioning one of the key reasons why) then he isn’t a journalist. He should join the rest of us pundit plebs in comments section. 🥴
19 Go to commentsSo the first door to knock on Rob is Parliament followed by HMRC. The Irish Revenue deliver a 40% tax relief rebate on the HIGHEST EARNING TEN YEARS of every pro Irish rugby players contract earnings at retirement. That goes a long way to both retaining their best talent and freeing up wages for marquee players. Who knows, if that had been in place in the UK, you might not have been able to poach Hoggy and Jonny Gray from Glasgow…!!!
3 Go to comments1. True, if that “free” ticket means access to all but the prized exhibit - EVIP only. SA cannot host semis, even if they’ve earned it (see Sharks vs ASM Clermont Auvergne at… Twickenham Stoop). 2. Why no selective outrage over Lyon doing the exact same thing a week earlier? Out of all the countries France send the most “B teams”, why nobody talking about “disrespect” and “prioritising domestic leagues” and “kicking them out”? 3. Why no mention of the Sharks fielding all of their Springboks for the second rate Challenge cup QF? No commitment? 4. Why no mention of all the SA teams qualifying for respective euro knock out comps in the two seasons they’ve been in it? How many euro teams have qualified for KO’s in their history? Can’t compete? 5. Why no mention of SA teams beating French and English giants La Rochelle and Saracens? How many euro teams have done that in their history? Add no quality? The fact is that SA teams are only in their second season in europe, with no status and a fraction of the resources. Since joining the URC, SA has seen a repatriation of a number of players, and this will only grow once SA start sharing in the profits of competing in these comps, meaning bigger squads with greater depth and quality, meaning they don’t have to prioritise comps as they have to now - they don’t have imports from Pacifica and South America and everywhere else in between like “European” teams have - also less “Saffas” in Prem and T14, that’s what we want right? 'If the South Africans are in, they need to be all in' True, and we have to ensure we give them the same status and resources as we give everyone else to do just that. A small compromise on scheduling will go a long way in avoiding these situations, but guess what, France and England wont compromise on scheduling because they ironically… prioritise their domestic comps, go figure!
19 Go to commentsthe success of the premiership can be summarized by : only 10 teams. It makes a huge difference with the overcrowded top 14 (let us not talk about Leinster and URC…)
2 Go to commentsGood for him. The ABs were fooling around again with converted fullbacks that had a penetration of a marshmallow. Laumape or as Aki has shown for Ireland, go forward is important in the centres. If it had been DMac - Aki- Aumua - Ioane- Telea- Jordan in France the final result would have been different.
4 Go to commentsDan Carter a apporté son professionnalisme, des méthodes de travail, un esprit qui manquaient à l’USAP. Son influence, même une fois blessé a été énorme. Et pour citer une anecdote, certains soirs il venait de lui-même à l’entraînement des jeunes pour dispenser ses conseils. On ne peut pas compter ce qu’il a apporté au club en heures de jeu sur le terrain. Est-ce que le club en a eu pour son argent ? Avec la publicité sur son nom et le titre, je suppose que oui.
1 Go to commentsThe SA sides are suffering from a bum rap here. There isn’t a side anywhere in the world that would do things differently in their shoes. They’ve been set up to fail in the EPCR comps by vested interests, with last minute intercontinental travel requirements that costs an arm and a leg to book in advance just on the possibility they might be required. And the total nonsense that denies any chance of home venues is entirely biased and absolutely unsporting. Either EPCR, the Top14 & the Gallagher Premiership get it sorted on a fair and equitable sporting basis for ALL participants or expect the ridicule to continue. Right now, these comps are a joke!
19 Go to commentsSA sides should do the right thing and leave the champions cup, they are lowering the standard with completely one sided games, not up to the right level. The greatest club tournament in the world is being banjaxed by the weak SA sides.
19 Go to comments