I’m not scared to say I’m obsessed by rugby. It’s something I watch a lot...

ALWAYS learning, always improving. No longer content to be, in his own words, some sort of class clown with the ability to ‘pull something out of my backside’.

Stuart Hogg, a player who rarely takes a backwards step on the field of play, takes a similarly progressive approach to his voluntary overtime away from the day job.

Studying the world’s best full-backs, spending hours and hours seeking clues to how the absolute elite break open games and sneak through smothering defences, Scotland’s most potent attacking weapon is on a mission of self-betterment.

He’s not content with a couple of Lions call-ups and a pair of Six Nations Player of the Year awards. Or even the 19 tries in 69 appearances for his country.

Hogg firmly and unashamedly believes that Gregor Townsend’s team can win the Rugby World Cup. He’s said so, in public, and in banner headlines.

And he understands that, to have a chance of making his

pre-tournament pronouncements more believable, every single squad member will need to find another level.

Which is why the one Scot guaranteed to be targeted by every single opposition coach, every wannabe hitman arriving late with a sneaky nudge or a full-blown shoulder charge, never lets up in his efforts to educate himself.

‘I have to do what’s best for the team,’ said Hogg. ‘And that means I’m always willing to learn, always willing to improve.

‘I watch a hell of a lot of rugby, picking out the best full-backs and seeing what they bring to their game. I then try to put it into practice.

‘I study a lot. Sean Lineen a few years ago called me a student of the game and he was right.

‘I’m not scared to say I’m obsessed by rugby. It’s something I watch a lot.

‘I spend hours trying to learn, trying to get better, trying to bring new plays into the game, bring the best out of myself and other people.

‘I’m not scared to say I’m in love with the game.

‘I watch lots of different players who bring different aspects to the game; everyone has different characteristics. But the best player in the world right now is Ben Smith for the All Blacks.

‘His flexibility to play on the wing and at full-back, the way he gets involved in the kicking game, the aerial game, his positional play… he’s someone I really look up to because of all that — and he plays in the best team in the world.

‘I truly believe he’s the best full-back in the world, so, if I can take little bits of his game and add them into mine, I’ll be fairly happy.’

Those words will sound sweet to Townsend and members of his backroom brains trust; innovation is a big part of the Scotland ethos under a head coach who has studied different countries, even different sports, in search of the extra one per cent.

‘That’s the thing,’ said Hogg with a laugh, when it was suggested that he must be the coaches’ pet.

‘Nine times out of ten when I’m watching rugby, I can text (Scotland assistant coach) Mike Blair — and know that he’ll be watching the same game.

‘There are little bits and pieces I always add into the game. If it drives the team forward, that’s what it’s all about.

‘It’s about us putting these plans into action, bringing all those pieces together, making sure we make it count in the tournament.

‘I’m delighted to be going into to a World Cup again. We’d been working incredibly hard during the months leading up to naming the squad, getting ourselves to where we wanted to be.

‘The hard work then started again immediately. None of us can wait.’

Now a hardened 27-year-old, a far cry from the raw kid who burst on to the scene back in 2012, Hogg’s consistent ability to keep making line-breaks and scoring tries is made more remarkable by the way the game has changed around him during those seven years.

For starters, defences are tighter than ever. And then there’s the fact that opponents, wary of his blistering pace, strength and sheer momentum once he starts moving, go out of their way to stifle his opportunities to play.

‘I do view that as a challenge,’ he said. ‘I take it as a compliment, a good thing, that they’re trying to keep me out of the game.

‘But it makes it challenging, as well, because I have to find different ways to get involved.

‘It’s something I’ve worked on over the last few years. You know you’re not going to get the opportunities on the counterattack as much as you used to.

‘Teams aren’t kicking to you as much. So you’ve got to find ways to get involved.

‘The main thing there is to be mature about the situation. Because I’ve not had the ball for a while, I’m not just trying to pull something out of my backside!’

If his own performances are guaranteed to catch the eye in Japan, Hogg himself is quick to point to other up-and-coming members of the squad capable of making a huge impact on the biggest stage.

Naturally, he’s chuffed to bits to have another Hawick boy in the group, singling out fellow ‘Terie’ Darcy Graham for mention.

‘I’ve watched Darcy over the last few years — and we’ve heard a lot about him,’ said Hogg.

‘I have been keeping an eye on him, so to see him excelling in professional and international rugby is great.

‘The best thing about Darcy is that he works hard — and he wants to get better.

‘He asks the right questions at the right time, he’s always willing to learn and improve.

‘He’s got a huge amount of respect for everybody in the squad, as well. I’m excited to see

how good he can actually be. I’ve got a lot of experience under my belt now, so I try to help the younger boys through.

‘It’s a fairly young squad. I’ve been around a long time, hopefully I’ve learned a bit along the way.

‘I’m just trying to make sure the team keeps going forward and we’re in a good place.’

All very statesman like. Dull, even? Don’t be fooled. Just because he hasn’t been caught on video being scared witless by John Barclay for a while, that doesn’t mean Hogg is going to be all business for the weeks and weeks spent in close confinement with the same faces.

Told that one of the younger lads had described him as boring, the veteran let out a guffaw and asked: ‘Was that Adam Hastings who said that? Aye, I’m getting boring because I’m fed up with him!

‘No, look, it’s finding the balance — figuring out when it’s Okay to be the class clown.

‘We’re away for a long time as a group. And John Barclay is getting a little bit frustrated that he’s not scaring me as much.

‘He’s not as tired as he has been during pre-season, so look out, watch this space, I think there will be some fun action coming this way. I’ll be avoiding Barcs, definitely.’

Knowing the characters involved, it won’t be long before we’re all treated to a viral clip of Hogg screaming — and boy, does he scream — in surprise as the former captain, and current vice-captain, jumps out from behind a door, plant pot or ornamental koi pond at the team hotel.

Then again, maybe Hoggy’s just getting smarter. Learning all the time, even.