Hogg defends his form: 'Everybody concentrates on the negatives nowadays'
Scotland skipper Stuart Hogg insists his confidence has not been shaken by his Guinness Six Nations start. The new Dark Blues captain asked to be given the role before the tournament kicked-off after former leaders Greig Laidlaw and John Barclay announced their international retirements.
But so far Hogg has appeared to struggle with the weight of the armband. The star full-back blew a certain try in the Scots’ Dublin opener when he dropped the ball on the try line, while another slip under his own posts led to England’s winning touchdown two weeks ago.
But the 27-year-old took more care to plant down while scoring for club side Exeter against Gloucester last weekend and will now be hoping to make amends for his national side when they face Italy in Rome on Saturday.
“I will be doing my normal performance, going out to express myself and have some fun,” he told the BBC. “But everybody concentrates on the negatives nowadays, rather than the positives that happened in the game. I believe I’ve done a lot of good stuff in the past couple of weeks as well.
“But everybody concentrates on the not-so-good moments. I’m a confident player. I believe in my ability. I know that on my day I can play some good rugby. I’m looking forward to doing that on Saturday.”
(Continue reading below…)
Jim Hamilton and Darren Cave preview Scotland’s clash with Italy
Hogg’s mistakes have been highlighted but there have been deeper issues behind Scotland’s recent disappointments.
Gregor Townsend’s team had ample opportunity to punish Ireland at the Aviva Stadium earlier this month but without Racing 92 playmaker Finn Russell – who will again be absent in the Eternal City as his stand-off with Townsend continues – they lacked a killer instinct.
Struggling for some Valentines Day inspiration? We got you covered 😍💏 🌹 #ValentinesDay #RosesAreRed pic.twitter.com/AlHrw380CM
— RugbyPass (@RugbyPass) February 14, 2020
And there were line out and breakdown issues as the Auld Enemy were allowed to snatch a 16-9 win in Edinburgh two weeks ago. But Hogg believes his team can kick-start their 2020 campaign at the Stadio Olimpico if they learn lessons from their two losses so far.
“We need to get our stuff spot on,” said Hogg. “We are constantly learning, but we need to learn quickly. We can’t be sitting here in a couple of years’ time saying exactly the same things. We’ve said that for a while now.
The @johnbarc86 Column:
"Gregor has never been a coach that has shied away from making big calls." #GuinnessSixNations #ITAvSCO 🏴https://t.co/i0MAPe1gpA
— RugbyPass (@RugbyPass) February 21, 2020
“The exciting thing is we can get better. The boys are working hard to create opportunities. We do expect to win everything – but the reality is we can’t win everything.”
– Press Association
WATCH: RugbyPass Rugby Explorer takes a trek through Italian rugby
Comments on RugbyPass
Don’t disagree with much of this but it appears you forgot Rodda and Beale, who started at the Force on the weekend.
9 Go to commentsExcept for the injured Zach Gallagher this would be Saders best forward pack for the season. Blackadder needs to stay at 7, for all of Christies tackling he is not dominant and offers very little else. McNicholfullback is maybe a good option, Fihaki not really upto it, there was a reason Burke played there last year. Maybe Havilli to 2nd five McLeod to wing. Need a strong winger on 1 side to compliment Reece
1 Go to commentsTo me TJ is clearly the best 9 in the competition right now but he's also a proven player off the bench, there's few playmaking players who can come off the bench as calm and settled as he is, Beauden can, TJ can and I doubt any of the scrumhalves in contention can, if they want to experiment with new 9s I want him on the bench ready to step in if they crumble under the pressure. The Boks put their best front row on the bench, I'd like to see us take a similar approach, the Hurricanes have been doing similar things with players like Kirifi.
33 Go to commentsROG has better chance to win a WC if he starts training and make himself eligible as a player. He won’t make the Ireland squad but I reckon he may get close with Namibia (needs to improve his Afrikaans) or Portugal. Both sides had 1000:1 odds to win the RWC in 2023 which is an improvement on ROG’s odds of winning a RWC as a coach. Unlike Top 14 teams, national teams can’t go shopping and buy the best players - you work with the available talent pool and turn them into world beaters.
2 Go to commentsthat backline nope that backline is terrible why would you have sevu Reece when he’s not even top 5 wingers in the comp why have Blackadder when there’s better players no Scott barret isn’t an automatic the guy is more of a liability than anything why have him there when you have samipeni who’s far far better
33 Go to commentsAh, good to find you Nick. Agree with everything about Cale. So much to like about his game
49 Go to commentsNot too bad. Questions at 6, lock and HB for me. The ABs will be a lot stronger once Jordan and Roigard return. Also, work needs to be made to secure Frizzell back for next season and maybe also Mo’unga; they’re just wasting time playing in japan
33 Go to commentsOn the title, i wonder for many of those people it is a case something like a belief in working smarter, not harder?
1 Go to commentsForget Sotutu. One of those whose top level is Super Rugby. Id take a punt on Wallace Sititi Finau ahead of Glass body Blackadder.
33 Go to commentsI’m a pensioner so I've been around a bit. My opinion of SBW is he is an elite athlete and a great New Zealander and roll model. He has been to the top and knows what he's talking about. To all the negative comments regarding SBW the typical New Zealand way, cut that tall poppy down.
17 Go to commentsI'm not listening to a guy moralise over others when this is the guy who walked out mid season on Canterbury RLFC when he had a contract with them, what a hypocrite. Those praising him are a joke.
17 Go to commentsI’d put Finau at 6 instead of Blackadder but that’s the only change I’d make. Can’t wait to see who Razor picks.
33 Go to commentsTamati Williams, Codie Taylor, and Same Cane? Not sure about Hoskins Sotutu at test level. Wasn’t that impressive last season. Need a balance between experience and talent/youth.
33 Go to commentsInteresting insight. Fantastic athlete, and a genuine human being.
17 Go to commentsThey played at night in Suva last weekend and it’s an afternoon game forecast for 19 degrees in Canberra this weekend. Heat change is a non issue.
1 Go to commentsWishing Rosie a speedy recovery
1 Go to commentsObscene that SA haven’t been knocking
1 Go to commentsChances of Blackadder being injured seem too high to give him serious consideration. ABs loosie combination finally looked good with 2 committed to tackling and clearing rucks in the centre and Ardie roaming. Hoskins/Ardie together would force one of them into where they don’t excel and don’t get to use their talent, or require a change in tactics. If we continue to evolve last years systems I would take Papali’i and Finau at 6 and 7 (conceding that Blackadder will be injured) and Ardie at 8.
33 Go to commentsArdie’s preferred position 7? Where do they get these writers from? I've no idea where he's playing in Japan, but the previous two seasons he wore the 7 jersey exactly twice.
17 Go to commentsNot good to hear Ulster described as “financially troubled”. Did not think it was getting to that level. I would hope the Irish system of spreading players of talent away from Leinster would kick in now. Better to have a Leinster fringe player with Ulster or Connacht, then getting only a few games a season in Dublin. 10, for example, would seem to be a case for spreading the talent. I would not be at all adverse to a SA man coming in as head coach/DR. Ludeke is worth trying. Certainly got a long and impressive coaching career at this level…..149 games in SR, then Japan, 30 years experience. And Ulster’s ledger of successful SA coaches and players is on the positive side. Is talk of Ruan Pienaar interested in coming back as a coach…..could be a good combination with Ludeke. And Pienaar and family would have no settling in to do, one would judge. He loved life in Ulster when there, by all reports.
1 Go to comments