Hogg ‘hacked off’ with France over title decider and vows to spoil party

Captain bristles at side being ignored in build-up by eight points can give visitors best Six Nations finish

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Scotland captain Stuart Hogg said last night he was hurt and “hacked off ” at the French presumption that tonight’s final Six Nations game at the Stade de France was simply about whether the visitors could win by 21 points to claim the title.

The Scots have their own motivation to do well. Victory by eight points would see them finish runners-up in the table.

“A lot’s been said [by the French] – in fact it’s beginning to hack me off – that they need 20 points to win the Six Nations,” said Hogg. “We read a quote from one of their players saying they’d got a trophy to win. As a proud Scotsman, that hurt me a lot.

“So much has been said about what they need to do, but if we can finish second, it’s the highest we’ve ever done in a Six Nations. That’s the motivation for us. It’s exciting, it’s one hell of a challenge, it’ll be an open game to be involved in.”

As Hogg listed all of the reasons to be bristling – Matt Fagerson’s withdrawal through injury, and the “hurt” of Sean Maitland and the England-based players missing out – he sounded like a man brimming with righteous indignation that Scotland do not get the credit he feels they deserve.

“The ongoing thing is that there’s a lot written where they concentrate on the opposition rather than ourselves,” he said. Yet Hogg knows that unless Scotland win in Paris for the first time since 1999, and do so by the eight points that would probably see them runners-up in the championship, they will end the season as also-rans.

Hogg also ruefully noted that, for once, Scotland were gaining a lot of attention, but largely because of how they affect another country. If Scotland can stymie France, then Wales will win the Six Nations, a reality that has ensured Scotland have a sizeable contingent of new fans from west of Offa’s Dyke.

“It’s very much about Scotland this week,” he said. “But I’ve got a financial adviser and a mortgage adviser who are both Welsh, and they’ve both told me we’ve got three million extra Scotland supporters. My old Chiefs team-mate Tom Francis has never been off the phone all week. He’s buzzing for it as well.”

Head coach Gregor Townsend’s comments suggest that Scotland are going to cut loose with the attacking flair of Duhan van der Merwe, Finn Russell and Huw Jones. Hogg’s stats are stellar, with two tries, two try assists, six offloads and almost 400 metres with the ball in hand – but the selection of the defensive Chris Harris at outside centre suggests a more cautious approach.

Townsend harked back to the win over England when Scotland kicked sparingly, played at a high tempo, kept the ball for lengthy periods and frustrated

opponents unused to being frozen out of possession.

Scotland have won two of their past three matches against France, and have done so by pursuing a similar plan to dominate the ball. When Scotland maintain possession for phase after phase against France, their penalty rate soars.

France’s need to score four tries while winning by 21 points – which they last did to Scotland in the Six Nations back in 2008 – could play into Scotland’s hands as long as they can withstand the early onslaught and recycle ball efficiently at the breakdown.

“We know fine well what they’re about,” said Hogg. “But for us that’s an incredible challenge. We need to stand up defensively, front up, try and frustrate them as much as we possibly can.

“It’s not a case of us stopping them scoring 20 points, we’re going out there to play our own game and win a match. We feel we’re ready – we’re excited for this.”

Hogg is right to bristle. All the talk is of if France can overhaul Wales, but for a Scotland side who have broken their away drought at England after 38 years and Wales after 18 years, going to play at an empty Stade Francais holds few fears. It is not France who have nothing to lose,

but Scotland.