Exeter will not be throwing their hat in the ring for Hogg

EXETER CHIEFS director of rugby Rob Baxter has ruled his club out of taking part in any bidding war for Glasgow Warriors full-back Stuart Hogg.

The English Premiership outfit, as first revealed by

Sportsmail, is among a number of top teams in England and France that have expressed an interest in signing the Scotland star but Baxter said it was now ‘unlikely to happen’.

Although not closing the door completely, he revealed he had higher priorities than to break the bank for the two-time British and Irish Lion.

The Exeter head coach admitted he had failed in an attempt to lure Hogg to Sandy Park two years ago before he signed a contract extension with Glasgow.

He was interested in signing him when his current contract runs out at the end of the season and had made inquiries.

But he thinks his money would be better spent elsewhere unless the price tag on Hogg — believed to be around £600,000 year — was lowered.

Baxter said: ‘Has he been to Sandy Park or have I met him? No. I spoke to him a couple of years ago. There’s the option to bring him in as a marquee player but is that the most important position for us? Probably not. It’s unlikely to happen.’

Hogg will miss the November Tests through injury which is a blow for Scotland head coach Gregor Townsend, who names his squad on Wednesday.

Edinburgh’s Blair Kinghorn is set to take over at full-back after impressing on Scotland’s threematch summer tour.

Byron McGuigan, who had been playing full-back for Sale Sharks but plays on the wing for Scotland, is also an option as is Ruaridh Jackson, who had been filling in for Hogg at Warriors.

Townsend has the headache of not being able to field any English or French-based players for the opening match against Wales on the first weekend of November because it falls outside the World Rugby official Test match window.

He will have to fill his team with players from Edinburgh and Glasgow Warriors for that game although the likes of French-based players such as Finn Russell, Greig Laidlaw and Richie Gray, plus Saracens Sean Maitland, will be available again for the final three matches at Murrayfield against Fiji, South Africa and Argentina.

Townsend has few new faces to call upon although he is likely to take the opportunity to name Blade Thomson, the New Zealand-born back-row forward, in his squad provided he is fit.

Thomson, who qualifies for Scotland through his grandparents, has made no secret of his desire to play international rugby.

The 27-year-old, who won four caps for the Maori All Blacks, joined Scarlets in the summer.

He was told that would not hinder his Scotland chances, which is why he is likely to be named by Townsend in his squad on Wednesday.