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'It's not as if Stuart is a bad guy...' Exeter explain axing Hogg, confirm Cuthbert is leaving
Rob Baxter used his post-match television interview on BT Sport on Saturday evening to explain his headline-generating decision to drop Scotland captain and 2021 Lions pick Stuart Hogg to the Exeter bench for their Gallagher Premiership semi-final win over Sale. The Chiefs defeated the Sharks 40-30 at Sandy Park to reach their sixth successive English top-flight final and they did so on the back of restoring fit-again England winger Jack Nowell to their side at full-back in place of Hogg who had been chosen at No15 for the previous week’s narrow 20-19 round 22 win over Sale.
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Exeter trailed 19-3 in that game before a red card for Sam Skinner ignited the comeback that prevented Sale from securing the bonus-point win that would have resulted in the semi-final taking place at AJ Bell Stadium in Manchester rather than the teams meeting again at Sandy Park.
Sale were three tries to the good by the time Skinner was red-carded and with that defensive weakness foremost in his mind, Baxter took remedial action with his Exeter team for this weekend’s rematch by dropping Hogg to the bench just five weeks before he is expected to be the starting full-back when the Lions meet the Springboks in the first Test in Cape Town.
Baxter’s decision was vindicated by Nowell’s dependability under a barrage of Sale kicks while he also scored two tries in the victory which sets Exeter up for a final next Saturday at Twickenham against Harlequins. “The reality is it’s a difficult one,” reflected Baxter about picking Nowell ahead of Hogg in his Exeter XV.
“It’s not as if Stuart has let anybody down or it’s not he is a bad guy. It’s never like that but I just felt we had to pick guys who contributed the most last week to what was a fantastic turnaround for us across the 80 minutes.
"He's throwing himself into it, fighting for the lads on the field.
"He's showing what a quality person he is."
Rob Baxter confirms Alex Cuthbert will leave @ExeterChiefs at the end of the season.#GallagherPrem pic.twitter.com/TjW5v8Fd3R
— Rugby on BT Sport (@btsportrugby) June 19, 2021
“Then getting Jack back fully fit, I wanted to get him involved and I thought it was 100 per cent the right thing to get him involved watching him in training. Somebody had to pay the price in that team and unfortunately for Stuart, it was him because I felt he contributed the least last week. His response was exactly what I wanted it to be. I phoned him and said we are going to put you on the bench this week. I’d like to know what your response is going to be and he was you are going to get a reaction Rob and I am going to prove that you are wrong leaving me out which is exactly how you want it to be.”
TV pundit Ben Kay lauded Baxter for getting the big selection call correct. “That is what great clubs are based on, being picked on your right to be there, not because of your name and reputation. It was really difficult for Jack Nowell to come in in some regards because it was a headline selection not picking Stuart Hogg.
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“But I thought he was superb under the high ball, particularly early on he was absolutely perfect. And then we know what a threat he is, powerful low to the ground and he has just got an ability to find the line. He will always be in and around try-scoring opportunities and he came up with a couple of good ones today.”
Fit-again winger Alex Cuthbert was also among the try-scorers before making way for Hogg on 68 minutes and Baxter confirmed post-game that he will leave the club at the end of this season. “He is a very good player. When he is fit we get him back on the field because that is how well he has played. For me, the biggest quality of a guy like Alex is he is having to leave the club.
“I sat down with Alex and said I think your time here has probably come to an end. It’s just you’re not available for too many games to be able to move forward in the salary cap and the situations that are there around it. I said I am very sorry for that but it is just a decision I am having to come to based on more than your playing ability.
“It’s based on everything and the biggest measure of the guy is he knows we have sat down and released him and look at how he is performing for us in one of the biggest games of the season. The easiest thing for him to do now would be to tuck himself up and just say I am moving on. But look at him, he is throwing himself into it, he is fighting for the lads on the field, he has shown what a quality person he is.”
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"The referee was a credible witness who gave compelling and balanced evidence"
– It was curious how Karl Dickson was called a credible witness at one Exeter disciplinary hearing but blamed at a second hearing for only a yellow card decision#EXEvSALhttps://t.co/BOURya9yTJ
— RugbyPass (@RugbyPass) June 19, 2021
Comments on RugbyPass
“But with an exceptional pass accuracy rating “ Which apart from Roigard is not a feature of any of the other 9s in NZ. Kind of basic for a Black 9 dont.you. think? Yet we keep seeing FC and TJ being rated ahead of him? Weird if it’s seen as vital to get our backline beating in your face defences.
1 Go to commentsThanks BeeMc! Looks like many teams need extra time to settle from the quadrennial northern migration. I think generally the quality of the Rugby has held up. Fiji has been fantastic and fun to watch
13 Go to commentsLets compare apples with apples. Lyon sent weak team the week before, but nobody raised an eyebrow. Give the South African teams a few years to build their depth, then you will be moaning that the teams are too strong.
41 Go to commentsDid footballs agents also perform the scout role at some time? I’m surprised more high profile players haven’t taken up the occupation, great way to remain in the game and use all that experience without really requiring a lot of specific expertise?
1 Go to commentsSuper rugby is struggling but that has little to do with sabbaticals. 1. Too many teams from Aust and NZ - should be 3 and 4 respectively, add in 2 from Japan, 1 possibly 2 from Argentina. 2. Inconsistent and poor refereeing, admittedly not restricted to Super rugby. Only one team was reffed at the breakdown in Reds v H’Landers match. Scrum penalty awarded in Canes v Drua when No 8 had the ball in the open with little defence nearby - ideal opportunity to play advantage. Coming back to Reds match - same scrum situation but ref played advantage - Landers made 10 yards and were penalised at the breakdown when the ref should have returned to scrum penalty. 3. Marketing is weak and losing ground to AFL and NRL. Playing 2 days compared with 4. 4. Scheduling is unattractive to family attendance. Have any franchises heard of Sundays 2pm?
11 Go to commentsAbsolutely..all they need is a chance in yhe playoffs and I bet all the other teams will be nervous…THEY KNOW HOW TO WIN IM THE PLAYOFFS..
2 Go to commentsI really hope he comes back and helps out with some coaching.
1 Go to commentsI think we are all just hoping that the Olympic 7s doesn’t suffer the same sad fate as the last RWC with the officials ruining the spectacle.
1 Go to commentsPersonally, I’ve lost the will to even be bothered about the RFU, the structure, the participants. It’s all a sham. I now simply enjoy getting a group of friends together to go and watch a few games a year in different locations (including Europe, the championship, etc). I feel extremely sorry for the real fans of these clubs who are constantly ignored by the RFU and other administrators. I feel especially sorry for the fans of clubs in the Championship who have had considerable central funding stripped away and are then expected to just take whatever the RFU put to them. Its all a sham, especially if the failed clubs are allowed to return.
9 Go to commentsI’m guessing Carl Hayman would have preferred to have stayed in NZ with benefit of hindsight. Up north there is the expectation to play twice as many games with far less ‘player management’ protocols that Paul is now criticising. Less playing through concussions means longer, healthier, careers. Carter used as the eg here by Paul, his sabbatical allowed him to play until age 37. OK its not an exact science but there is far more expectations on players who sign for Top 14 or Engl Prem clubs to get value for the huge salaries. NZR get alot wrong but keeping their best players in NZ rugby is not one of them. SA clubs are virtually devoid of their top players now, no thanks. They cant threaten the big teams in the Champions Cup, the squads have little depth. Cant see Canes/Chiefs struggling. Super has been great this year, fantastic high skill matches. Drua a fantastic addition and Jaguares will add another quality team eventually. Aus teams performing strongly and no doubt will benefit with the incentive of a Lions tour and a home RWC. Let Jordie enjoy his time with Leinster, it will allow the opportunity for another player to emerge at Canes in his absence.
11 Go to commentsLove that man, his way to despise angry little men is so funny ! 😂
4 Go to comments“South African franchises would be powerhouses if we had all our overseas based players back in situ. We would have the same unbeatable aura the Toulouses, Leinsters or Saracens of this world have had over the last decade or so.” Proof that Jake white does not understand the economics of the game in SA. Players earning abroad are not going to simply come back and represent the bulls. But they might if they have a springbok contract.
22 Go to commentsA lot of fans just joined in for the fun of it! We all admire O'Gara and what he has done for La Rochelle
4 Go to commentsThe RFU will find a way to mess this up as usual. My bet is there will be no promotion into the the Premiership, only relegation into National League One. Hopefully they won’t parachute failed clubs into the league at the expense of clubs who have battled for promotion.
9 Go to commentsWell that’s the contracts for RG and Jordie bought and paid for. Now, what are the chances we can persuade Antoine to hop over with all the extra dosh we’ll have from living at the Aviva & Croke next season…??? 🤑🤑🤑
35 Go to commentsWow, that’s incredible. Great for rugby.
35 Go to commentsYou probably read that parling is going to coach the wallaby lineout but if not before now you have.
17 Go to commentsIf someone like Leo Cullen was in O’Gara’s place I don’t hear Boo-ing. It’s not just that La Rochelle has hurt Leinster and O’Gara is their Irish boss. It’s the needle that he brings and the pantomime activity before the game around pretending that Munster were supporting LaRochelle just because O’Gara is from Cork. That’s dividing Irish provinces just to get an advantage for his French Team. He can F*ck right off with that. BOOOOO! (but not while someone is lying injured)
4 Go to commentsDid the highlanders party too hard before the game? They were the pits.
1 Go to commentsWhat a player! Not long until he’s in the England side, surely?
5 Go to comments