Townsend backs Hogg to recover

SCotLAnD head coach Gregor townsend has backed captain Stuart Hogg to bounce back from his horror miss against Ireland and lead the team with his customary confidence against England next week.

townsend has asked fans not to judge his captain on his one glaring error in the second half when he let the ball slip through his fingers as he tried to touch down. Hogg dropped the ball when he was over the try-line in a pivotal moment that could have laid the foundations for a Scotland victory.

Instead Ireland ran out 19-12 winners as Scotland departed Dublin with no more than a losing bonus point, despite all their efforts.

townsend is confident that the full back, in what was only his second time out as Scotland captain, showed he is good enough in adversity to lead his country for many years to come and has the strength of character to shrug off memories of his error before England come to town.

‘Stuart led the team well the last two weeks leading up to the Ireland game,’ said townsend. ‘He was ill on thursday and missed training and was in his bed.

‘the adversity the team has gone through and how Stuart has led the team with so many challenges gives me great encouragement as to how great a captain he can be.

‘Hoggy played very well. We don’t judge players on one mistake in the game. He’ll be fine and will bounce back. I think he’s a real driving force as captain of this side.’

When asked if Finn Russell would be back for the England game after missing the Ireland loss for ‘ breaching team protocols’, townsend replied: ‘We will see. It is not something I have thought about since the end of the game.

‘Adam Hastings was excellent at 10 for us. He was making some good decisions when to attack. His passing was excellent and he defended well.’