NOW IT’S TIME FOR US TO GET SERIOUS
Hogg is done with clowning around and determined to fire into the French
STUART HOGG is ready. The long summer months have been about training — and trying to stay entertained — but now the Scotland full-back is straining at the leash. The fun and games are over. He wants the blood and thunder of action.
Gregor Townsend’s men will finally get back into the competitive swing against France on Saturday night in Nice. For Hogg and many of his team-mates, it will be the first real test since Glasgow Warriors lost in the Pro14 final to Leinster way back on May 25.
And the 27-year-old is taking it seriously. No more clowning around. No more competing with John Barclay over who can scare the living daylights out of the other...
‘There are only so many times you can have fun in terms of hiding people’s kit or jumping out on people,’ said Hogg. ‘Thankfully, John Barclay has been too tired and not been able to jump out on me, either. The thing is, there is a time and a place to be the class clown.
‘I have been working incredibly hard and also trying to have as much fun off the field because we spend a lot of time together. We have been eight weeks together and normally if that was the Six Nations we would have dispersed and gone back to our clubs by now.
‘We’ve got to concentrate on ourselves going forward. We want to try to play the fastest rugby in the world and we believe we are in a good place with our fitness.
‘We’re ready to fire into the games now. We’re getting bored having no games at the weekends and it has been a bit of a nightmare not playing.
‘This week is different for us as it is a Test week and a chance to pull on the Scotland jersey. We go to France and, hopefully, we can get a good win and kick on to achieve something special at the World Cup.
‘It is about getting as much shape and set-piece work done as we can. There are a lot of new combinations, so, every day, we have to make sure we’re in a better place than when we started the session.
‘We have to make the most of training as every little thing counts in Test match rugby. Everyone has to be on the money in attack and defence, starting at the weekend.’
That is the mentality Scotland need to have from now on and Hogg is determined that the trip to Japan won’t be a mere sightseeing jaunt.
‘There will be some time when the boys can explore but we have to go out there and win Test matches,’ he said. ‘The sightseeing can take a back seat as far as I am concerned.
‘The conditions have to be dealt with. They were really tough when we toured Japan a few years ago and we totally have to get used to that. The humidity levels were incredible and the ball was like a bar of soap at times.
‘That is where taping the fingers
came from. It will be the same for both teams when we play but as if Test match rugby wasn’t tough enough, they are going to chuck in humidity as well. We have to hope for the best and hope it works out for us but we will work hard to deal with it.’
Hogg expressed his sympathy for Wales fly-half Gareth Anscombe, who has been ruled out of the World Cup after suffering an ACL injury in the warm-up defeat to England at Twickenham, but insisted that won’t change his approach against France.
‘If you think like you might be injured in any of these games, like the one against France, you won’t be going to the World Cup as you will either end up injured or not play very well,’ said Hogg.
‘You just have to concentrate on doing a job for the team. If you think about that sort of stuff, you are not going to play well or give everything with the full amount of heart. It is Test match rugby, so I’ll go out there to express myself and have some fun.
‘It is an opportunity to pull on a Scotland jersey and there is no better feeling than winning in that jersey. If I am given the opportunity at the weekend, I will grab it with both hands and do my part to help us win. ‘We are now all desperate to play but we won’t get too carried away too early in the game. We are old enough and wise enough to realise this is a game of rugby — a Test match. It has been a long time coming and the boys are champing at the bit to get out there. The 23 at the weekend have the chance to get the ball rolling.’
Hogg may be a naturally attack-minded player but he said improving the Scotland defence has been one of the major areas that Townsend and his coaching team have been focusing on over the last two months at squad gatherings.
You can understand why, because for all the praise Scotland got for scoring six tries in a remarkable fightback against England in the 38-38 draw in the Six Nations finale, they also conceded six.
‘Defence is probably at the forefront of our game and a big part of our preparation,’ said Hogg. ‘Defence will win you games and we have been working on structures as we believe we slipped up a few times in pivotal moments in past games.
‘We believe we have the players and the ambition and attack to score tries, but we’ve leaked a few over recent games.
‘We’re not going to win Test matches if we’re scoring two and conceding three. Defence has to be watertight and we have to be on the money at every opportunity. We’re strong enough to turn defence into attack, too.’