Irish pundits once again go after Stuart Hogg and Scotland
Irish television rugby pundits have once again taken a fairly hefty pop at Stuart Hogg and his Scotland teammates following their victory over Italy in Rome.
Centre Chris Harris scored a brace of tries as Scotland edged to a 33-22 bonus-point victory over Italy in their Six Nations encounter at the Stadio Olimpico, inflicting a 36th successive defeat in the competition on their hosts.
Centre Sam Johnson, wing Darcy Graham and fullback Stuart Hogg also crossed for tries as Scotland came out on top in a game that was more of a street fight than an arm wrestle, with both teams playing some loose rugby compounded by errors.
Italy had managed only a single try in the Six Nations coming into the game, but got three in Rome as scrumhalf Callum Braley and debutant Ange Capuozzo, with a brace, crossed to score.
Capuozzo’s first try gave the home side their first second-half points in this year’s competition.
Scotland move into fourth in the table with 10 points from their four games, while Italy remain marooned at the foot of the standings, having yet to break their duck and with a game to come in Wales next weekend.
They may have bagged the win but they certainly didn’t impress Shane Horgan and Matt Williams on Virgin Medis Sports in Ireland.
The subject of Hogg, Finn Russell and Scotland has been a go to talking point for this particular panel in recent weeks and once more they went after Gregor Townsend’s men.
“I sometimes listen to Hogg after games and it’s very then the ones you hear – for example – from an Irish player.
“I sometimes wonder if he recognises how bad that performance was there?”
“Yes, there were elements of it that were good, but the idea of doing the simple things right, well, they didn’t do the simple thing right.
“He [Hogg] threw at least four balls on the ground. From your captain, your best player… yeah, it is pushing a pass because it’s Italy, but if you want excellence and you want to win against France, Ireland or Wales or England, then you can’t have those performances in that game against England.
“They were always going to win that game. They were too good, they have too many good players. As long they keep going ‘It’s okay, we’re using the pass, a few go on the deck’ and especially when it’s by your captain, they’re going to be left in a similar situation when they come across those better teams.”
"I sometimes wonder if he recognises how bad that performance was there?"
Shane Horgan after Stuart Hogg's post-match interview.#ITAvSCO #GuinnessSixNations pic.twitter.com/mGlcVfNa3p
— Virgin Media Sport (@VMSportIE) March 12, 2022
Former Scotland coach Matt Williams agrees that a cultural change needs to happen in Scotland for them to become a real force on the world stage.
“The Scottish performances of the last few years reinforced what you [Shane Horgan] are saying,” said Williams. “They beat England and France last year and then lose to the others. [This year] They beat England at home, lose to Wales. It’s like the cliché: the situation determines the attitude, not the attitude determines the situation.
“They are lifting their performance for their opposition. They are playing the opposition instead of saying, ‘Culutrally, this is the way we play’. Great teams like New Zealand, and to be fair, Ireland of recent times, they play at a level that is internally driven. It’s not determined by who you play against.
“I’ve got real belief that there’s a lot of talent in that Scottish side. But until they get that real mongrel dog mentality, they’ll continue to have performances like that.”
"I've got real belief that there's a lot of talent in that Scottish side. But until they get that real mongrel dog mentality, they'll continue to have performances like that."
Matt Williams on Scotland.#ITAvSCO #GuinnessSixNations pic.twitter.com/XzW6p9cRIs
— Virgin Media Sport (@VMSportIE) March 12, 2022
The criticism is the latest in several weeks worth of barrages aimed at Townsend’s team. Following the loss to Wales, Williams advised his former side to ‘shut up’.
“They have just got to shut up. Until they actually action out and live their talk, they have got to shut up because they are making fools of themselves. They have done this for about four years in a row. They win a couple of biggies and then the next week they lose. And each time they come out and say ‘we’re going to win, we’re a great side’. They’re not doing themselves any favours in the rugby world.
“They have just got to stop the talk, tone it down and live it,” concluded Williams, who left the role as head coach of the national team in 2005.”
Scotland will now travel to Dublin and the Aviva Stadium and have what must now be a mouthwatering opportunity to make the this particular panel eat their words. If they don’t, they may expect to be once again put to sword by messrs. Horgan and Williams.
additional reporting AAP
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