Rejuvenated Hogg ready to rock and roll after work with wellbeing coach
ASLIMMED-DOWN Stuart Hogg has declared himself “ready to rock and roll” as he looks ahead to Scotland’s four games in the Autumn Nations Series.
The Exeter Chiefs full-back is convinced that he is mentally sharper as well as in better physical shape after a tough time at the end of last season, and credits Ben Scott, who has been Scottish Rugby’s national wellbeing coach since the start of the year, with helping him get back to his best.
As Saturday’s game against Tonga is outwith the international window, Hogg will be restricted to TV commentary work at Murrayfield, having likely played for his club the night before. But he will be restored to the captaincy for the following games against Australia, South Africa and Japan, and was training with the Scotland squad this week before heading south last night.
In common with the rest of the summer’s British & Irish Lions squad, the 29-year-old had an extended break before returning to club duties. Now, however, having played a few times for Exeter, his enthusiasm for the game has been rekindled.
“I’m feeling really well,” he said. “I’m really enjoying my rugby over the past few weeks. I’ve played four games for Exeter this season and absolutely loved it. I had a good holiday and worked incredibly hard to get back into shape and made a few subtle changes and I’m ready to rock and roll again.
“After we came back from [the Lions] tour I had the compulsory 10-days to twoweek isolation and when I got back from that I started training again for the new season. I just felt I was physically and mentally drained. [Head coach] Rob Baxter and the rest of the team at Exeter gave me an extra couple of weeks off.
“It was massive, and I got to spend more time with my wife and kids, who had not been around all summer. I felt refreshed and energised and ready to go again.”
The time off did not only allow Hogg time to rest, it provided a chance to reassess himself physically and to work with Scott, whose input, he believes, has been of vital importance to his feeling rejuvenated.
“I managed to drop a few kilos in weight – roughly five kilos – and tried something different this season,” he continued. “I’ve looked after my body a lot better over these past couple of months.
“I’ve pretty much given up a lot of alcohol over the last while. Obviously over the summer it’s good to relax and unwind, but yeah, it has a big impact on how I’m feeling as a person, as a sportsman. It has been very, very limited and it has been quite refreshing.
“We’ve seen examples in the last year or so at the Olympics and other huge occasions where people haven’t quite been able to be themselves or perform to their full ability because the mental side wasn’t where it needs to be. We’re very fortunate to have Ben Scott in the camp and he’s worked wonders with individuals and with us as a team.
“We’re learning all the time about the different things that help us with our mindset and mental health, and he’s been absolutely tremendous. It’s something that more and more boys are tapping into. For me it’s been a massive difference since the Lions tour. I’ve spoken to Ben a few times since he’s been around the camp, but mostly since the Lions tour to get to where I am now.
“I was struggling with how the back end of last season finished – dropped for the [Premiership] semi-final and the final for the Chiefs and then wasn’t selected for the third Test
match [with the Lions]. That’s something that really hurt me personally and I wanted to add the one percenters to make the difference and not go back to those mindsets that I was in back then.
“We have a huge amount of opportunity to grow as individuals and work with Ben. There’s a quote we were told, that performance is 90 per cent mental health, which is hugely exciting. I’m really looking forward to working with Ben for a number of years to come.”
With Hogg sidelined this weekend, Edinburgh flanker Jamie Ritchie is the front runner to take over the captaincy, having been given the role in the summer for the three matches that in the end had to be called off because of Covid concerns. Asked who would take over from him at full-back, Hogg would only say: “There are a number of guys who can pull on the 15 jersey this week.”
Ross Thompson, normally a stand-off, played there for Glasgow last week and could make his Scotland debut in the position. If so, that could make for an intriguing role reversal, with Edinburgh’s Blair Kinghorn, primarily a full-back, set to be named at stand-off in the absence of Finn Russell and Adam Hastings. Scotland coach Gregor Townsend will announce his team at lunch-time today.