What Hogg classily texted Nowell after the England player took his Exeter No15 shirt
It can’t have been easy for Scotland skipper Stuart Hogg to swallow that Exeter were dropping him from their starting XV for the Gallagher Premiership semi-final versus Sale, a demotion that has now carried into this Saturday’s final versus Harlequins at Twickenham. In four weeks’ time the Scot is expected to be Lions No15 when the Test series starts in Cape Town versus the Springboks, so not making your club side for the biggest games of their season through a perceived lack of form is quite a bad look when it comes to next month’s ambition of tackling the South Africans.
However, rather than throw any toys out of the pram, Hogg has sucked up his disappointment for the greater good of Exeter. We already know about the initial phone call Rob Baxter made to Hogg telling him he was being dropped for the semi-final following his display in the round 22 game of the league.
We also know that Baxter held further discussions with his player last Monday to ensure the air was clear and that Hogg was primed to train as best he could this week even though he would have needed an injury to a fellow back three player if he was to get back into the starting Exeter XV for Twickenham. What we didn’t know was how Hogg originally reacted after the first Baxter phone call, classily congratulating the fit-again Jack Nowell for getting the No15 Exeter jersey off him.
Nowell went on to do it justice, scoring twice and being brilliantly reliable under the high ball at Sandy Park, and it has now emerged that Hogg was fully appreciative of his rival’s re-emergence for what was just his fourth appearance in an injury-hit season. “It’s not ideal but to be fair, Stuart was the first person to actually text me,” said Nowell about the selection battle he was thrust into with Hogg.
“I didn’t see the team (named) but Stuart saw it and he was the first person to text me and said, ‘It’s awesome to see you back. I know you have had a bit of a shocking year but it’s awesome to see you back on the field’. It’s awesome to see that.
TEAM NEWS:
Midfield giant is back for Quins but the Chiefs have given their potential Lions No15 another dose of tough love#EXEvHAR #GallagherPremFinal
https://t.co/WMDmc4eUSU— RugbyPass (@RugbyPass) June 25, 2021
“It is difficult. No one likes to be dropped and no one likes to take someone else’s position but the way we look at it is these are big games and we all want to be involved in and remember so at the end of the day whoever is on the field does the job at the time, but Stuart is always going to come on and finish strong for us. As long as we are picking up that trophy at the end of the game that is all that really matters.”
Lifting a trophy at English rugby HQ would be an incredible finale to a terrible campaign for Nowell who didn’t reappear until April following last October’s toe ligament operation and he then had a further six-week layoff before Baxter picked him to start last weekend’s semi-final.
“It has been a bit brutal. I have had my down days and stuff but I knew there is a lot more to play for. I knew if I sat back I probably wouldn’t have make it to these big games at the end of the year. I’m happy that I have dug in because this has alway been a big target for me. I love playing in these finals so I am glad the coaches are trusting me a little bit and the input of physios and stuff.
“My body feels awesome. I have had those niggles and unfortunately they are never going to go away but I feel like I am on top of them and I’m feeling really good to be fair. I haven’t got that muscle soreness, that rugby soreness that most of the boys have got after playing all year and I feel fresh. I feel like I am desperate to get involved with the boys and there is no better time than to do that at the moment.
“I am desperate to go on the Lions tour again but I can’t be angry not being picked because I played one game on the week of selection. For me, it’s just about getting fit, being there, not looking too much forward. I’m desperate to get back involved with the England lads and with Eddie (Jones). I haven’t been there since the World Cup so hopefully this summer I can get back on, have a good off-season and attack next year.”
Saturday is Exeter’s sixth successive Premiership final, quite a feat for a club that only played its first-ever season in the Premiership in 2010/11. It’s obvious they have become the top team to beat in the league but Nowell isn’t taking anything for granted in this latest final versus Harlequins as memories of the Chiefs’ disastrous first appearance in the final, the 2016 loss to Saracens, are still fresh in his memory.
“It’s weird. Five years ago we were the guys who made it to the top out of nowhere and we are almost expected to get to the final now. That’s certainly not what we are saying. We know how hard we work so we don’t feel lucky to be in the final. We still have that edge about us that we know what can happen.
“Even though it was five years ago that first final against Sarries, we were unaware of what was going to happen. The boys were a bit rabbits in the headlights. Warm-up wasn’t the greatest and I still remember it to this day. It’s certainly one thing we don’t want to happen to us again. The excitement and buzz of getting there is still certainly there. It’s not a given and we have never played Quins in this situation before. It’s a new one and one we have got to go and attack.”
It's an awkward time for the potential Lions No15 Test starter after getting benched by his Premiership club#LionsRugby #EXEvHAR #GallagherPremFinal
https://t.co/g7JgNmGmgQ— RugbyPass (@RugbyPass) June 23, 2021
Comments on RugbyPass
Can someone fill me in please, I've read a number of Ben Smith articles now and it seems he's got something again South Africa? Surely, this game was over and done with 7 months ago. Can't we have something a bit more interesting and relevant, or is this the calibre of journalist on this site?
227 Go to commentsNot sure what the Welsh are moaning about. They’ve had far more players off England, than England have had off Wales. Guys like Josh Hathaway and Kane James will play for Wales in the end. And they’ll be fsr better players for having played in the Gallagher Premiership, than they ever would have been had they stayed mired in the shambles that is Welsh rugby.
3 Go to commentsThis is all being blown totally out of proportion. First of all, since half the Irish team isn’t Irish - it’s very likely that none of the Irish players said that at all and, thus, we’re not being arrogant. Second, since half the Irish team is Kiwi - it’s very likely the Kiwi players were predicting a NZ SA World Cup final. Which they got spot on. Good on them!
163 Go to commentsAha. An Irishman with logic! Follow the flow: - Ireland peaks with a >80% win record between 2020 and 2023. And then… - crashes out of another QF at the WC; - Beat a poor French Team; - Beat 6N wooden spoonists Italy; - Play shite against eventual wooden spoonists Wales; - Lose against the most boring, “the worst English team ever” , a team widely regarded as unable to attack; - scrape through against Scotland. This article, No - Trimble, is on the money! Except for one glaring statement: _The Springboks have a few aces in the hole in this debate being the reigning world champions and official world number ones_ There is no debate, boys and girls. There it is. In black and white. “Reigning World Champions and OFFICIAL world number ones”. Come July, the overrated Andy Farrell and this overhyped team are going to enter into a world of hurt.
86 Go to commentsI’d like to know what homoerotic events Daniel enjoyed at 8th man. I clearly missed out!
19 Go to commentsThis article is missing some detail, like some actual context or info about what led to him abusing the ref.
2 Go to comments*They used to say that football is a gentleman sport watched by hooligans and rugby is a hooligan sport watched by gentlemen. How times have changed.*
3 Go to commentsexcept ot wasnt late wasnt late at all so dont know why you all saying its late he commits early and its your fault fir not paying attention
29 Go to commentsNot sure the Bulls need another average utility back in their ranks. Chamberlain has been ok for the Sharks but is by no means an X-Factor player. Bulls bought several utility backs which they barely use. A typical example would be Henry Immelman who plays mostly Fullback. The Bulls however have rarely played him this year and he has played wing or centre. Bulls want to build depth but seems like they have too many surplus players
1 Go to commentsABs lost against a side playing without a hooker - The guy playing, had one shoulder. Line outs were a gimme for the ABs, and the last 8 minutes 14 played 14 against a team that had been smashed 3 weeks in a row… Yet with all that possession, with all that territory, with all the advantages they actually had, especially in the last 8 minutes, they couldn’t buy a point. Those last 8 minutes determined if they outplayed the Boks or not. History will show that the Boks completely outplayed the ABs, especially in those last 8 minutes, the business end of any rugby match
227 Go to commentsWould’ve, could’ve, should’ve, didn’t.
227 Go to commentsKok will become a fan favourite
1 Go to commentsI am really looking forward to Leigh Halfpenny playing his first Super rugby game for the Crusaders Playing a long side his former Welsh and Scarlets team mate Johnny McNicoll.Johnny has been playing great, back in a Crusaders jersey.The attack has strengthened big time. Also looking forward to David Havili at 10. David is a class act, it also allows Dallas McLeod to remain at 12. A good thing.
1 Go to commentsIf he had stopped insisting on playing in the backrow, instead of wing, where everyone told him he should, he would have been a Bok years ago….
11 Go to comments‘Salads don’t win scrums’ 😂 I love that.
19 Go to commentsCan’t wait for the article that talks about misogyny in Ireland. Somehow.
19 Go to commentsI would like to see a rule change, when the attacking team is held up over the try line, by allowing the defensive team to restart a goal line drop out releases the pressure for the defensive team, but what if the attacking team had to restart a tap 5m out from the defensive team it gives the attacking team to apply more pressure, there are endless options for the attacking side and it will keep the fans in suspence.
2 Go to commentsLess modern South African males predictably triggered.
19 Go to commentsMy heart is with Quins, but the head is convinced Toulouse have too much. Ntamack is back, his timing and wisdom has been missed.
1 Go to commentsWow, what a starting line up for the Sharks) Tasty up front,kremer vs Tshituka or venter …fiery ,,Lavannini ,,will he knobble etzebeth? Biggest game for belleau?
1 Go to comments