Warrior Stuart is Paterson pick to be world’s best
SCOTLAND’S rec ord c ap holder Chris Paterson believes Stuart Hogg is one of the best players in the world – and he feels the 24-year-old still has muc h more left in the tank as he approac hes his 50th international cap this weekend.
Paterson watc hed on Saturday as the Glasgow Warriors’ full-bac k bagged two tries in the first half of the 6 Nations opener against Ireland.
The Sc ots held on to win 27-22 and Paterson, who played a lot of his 109 Tests in the same position as Hogg and retired the year before he burst onto the international scene in 2012, paid tribute to the Hawic k lad as he looks set to hit the half c entury in Franc e on Sunday.
“I first was aware of Stuart when he was around 16 or 17 years of age and he was on a rugby c ourse at the Borders College,” Paterson rec alled.
“We were playing a game of touch and this nippy little youngster with a bit to say for himself shot by me and showed incredible footwork.
“We then had a kic king c ompetition and boy c ould this young guy kic k the ball far!
“After that day I always kept an eye on how Stuart was doing and it didn’t surprise me when he started to get tongues wagging with his performanc es for Hawic k YM and Hawic k on the Kings of the Sevens c irc uit.
“Everywhere you went in the Borders at that time people would stop and ask you about this young guy and it was c lear he had that ‘X fac tor’ that everyone talks about and c raves, but very rarely finds.
It was bac k in 2009 when Hogg c ame to the attention of the wider rugby audienc e in the local sevens events.
His eye for a gap, his footwork and speed were very impressive for a teenager and he has sinc e enjoyed a rapid rise.
He was soon turning out for Sc otland at age-grade leveland was signed up by Warriors.
A debut c ame for the pro side at the age of just 19 in early 2011 and then in early 2012 he sc ored an amazing try on his Sc otland ‘A’ debut in a win over the England Saxons.
Many feel that Hogg is already a c ertainty to be the British & Irish Lions starting No.15 in the Tests in New Zealand this summer.
Paterson added: “If he keeps going the way he is then Stuart has got to be in Warren Gatland’s thoughts for that spot and to go on a sec ond Lions tour at his age would be something.”