Hogg just a genius who can break any defence
SAYS CHRIS PATERSON
THE FACT that Stuart Hogg is such an obvious threat to the best-laid plans of opponents and their coaches does not make him any less potent.
The knowledge that the best brains in international rugby know what is coming at them, yet still often find themselves unable to stop it, is actually the most impressive aspect of his continued ability to break lines and shatter defences.
As Scotland prepare for their World Cup campaign in Japan, it’s little wonder that record points scorer Chris Paterson laughs when it’s suggested that Hogg will be relishing the test confronting him on the biggest stage of all.
Paterson, who scored 809 points for his country, told Sportsmail that he wouldn’t look any further than the No 15 jersey for the key man in this tournament.
He said: ‘Hoggy loves the challenge, that’s what we all love about him. The tougher it is, the better he seems to be.
‘He is undoubtedly a brilliant player with a ridiculous amount of talent. He has speed, he has power and he’s a really intelligent rugby player. What more do you want?
‘The best way to describe his personality is excited. He can’t wait for any opportunity to show his talent to the world — and help Scotland to succeed. ‘What you have to remember is that Hoggy is the No 1 target on the watch list of every opponent. They mark him more, look to close him down and keep the ball away from him. Yet he still performs.
‘To do that under that kind of pressure underlines how clever he is, how good an understanding he has on when to break, when to pass, when to kick. He will have a big impact, without a doubt.
‘Of course, the back three has some serious depth, with guys like Sean Maitland, Tommy Seymour, Blair Kinghorn and Darcy Graham all in there. Hoggy will have to be good just to stay in the team!’
All joking aside, few would deny that Scotland will have to rely on the odd game-breaking moment from our best players in Japan.
Never mind the Ireland game first up. Host nation Japan won’t be put away with a bythe-numbers approach.
Inspiration will have to strike, and strike regularly, if Gregor Townsend’s men are to even reach the quarter-finals where
either New Zealand or South Africa will inevitably lie in wait.
Paterson added: ‘In most of the big games at a World Cup, it comes down to that ability to break the game — the one or two moments of genius.
‘Yes, teams have very clever game plans. And the coaches make sure everyone is well drilled, so defensive line-ups are really hard to break down.
‘With somebody like Hoggy in the team, Scotland have the kind of genius that can break through any defensive line.’
If the players picked will bear the heaviest burden in Japan, Paterson’s work behind the scenes with Scotland may prove almost as invaluable to Townsend.
When points are at stake and kicks simply must be made, the tuition he’s been offering to the national team’s dead-ball experts must come in handy.
‘I’ve been working with the kickers for a while now and that’s something I really enjoy, coaching individuals rather than teams,’ he explained. ‘The general trend in the modern game has been towards scoring tries, more than just keeping the scoreboard ticking over.
‘But you know that the big World Cup games can come down to kicks, having someone like a Jonny Wilkinson or a (Joel) Stransky, a last-minute conversion to win the game.
‘Scotland had that in ’87 (when Gavin Hastings missed a touchline conversion that would have beaten France). It’s still a huge part of the game today.
‘Of course, the kickers have become so good that it’s almost a shock when someone misses.
‘Keeping the kicks going over is important. Although everyone knows that you’re not going to beat New Zealand 9-8. You’re going to have to score tries. And convert them.’
Everything in Paterson’s kicking training is about replication. Repeat the same action time and again. Get it grooved. Then practice under pressure, with every kick meaning something, even if only in terms of internal competition.
He said: ‘When I was kicking, I tended to focus a lot on the physical things, the technical aspects that I could control.
‘My theory was that, if you kept them the same every time, you knew — more or less — what the outcome would be.
‘So when the pressure was on and the situation has changed, if it was a kick to win the match or my first kick, I would take the psychological pressure off by going back to the technical side, the stuff I could control.
‘That’s something a lot of kickers can learn from. But one of the things that a lot of people might not factor in is that, before the kick is taken, you can be really affected by what has just happened in the game.
‘You could be exhausted. You could have picked up a dead leg. Or maybe you’ve scored a try yourself and your emotions are through the ceiling.
‘Concentrating on the technical side — which part of the ball your focusing on, your hips, your arm movement — can bring back some equilibrium.’
Greig Laidlaw is an expert in the art of staying balanced; the man is a points-gathering machine from the kicking tee.
There are others in the squad who’ve been known to kick the odd crucial conversion or penalty. Finn Russell. Adam Hastings.
And then there’s the boy with the biggest boot. The full-back called in for those long shots from way, way downtown.
One way or another, Hogg is going to have a serious impact on this tournament. That much should be obvious — to supporters, team-mates and opposing defence coaches.