HOGG CRAVES A HAPPY ENDING

Scots star has suffered so many tales of woe against Irish and aims to change the script

IF he ever gets round to writing a book, Stuart Hogg should have some interesting tales to tell about Ireland. Given the kaleidoscope of emotions the Irish have provided throughout his career, they would probably warrant a chapter all of their own. During his days at Glasgow Warriors, Hogg played in the Pro12 final in 2015 when they defeated Munster in Belfast. It remains the club’s finest hour.

Yet, just 12 months previously, he had been controversially left out of Glasgow’s squad for the showpiece against Leinster in Dublin amid rumours he was set to leave. Warriors were soundly beaten in his absence.

In 2017, when he was a nailed-on certainty to start for the Lions against the All Blacks, an accidental collision with Irish scrum-half Conor Murray wound up with Hogg suffering a nasty facial injury which ended his tour prematurely.

In the Pro14 final against Leinster at Celtic Park in 2019, in what ought to have been his swansong in his final game prior to joining Exeter Chiefs, he was pole-axed in mid-flight by Irish full-back Rob Kearney and had to go off injured.

He played all 80 minutes of the World Cup debacle in Yokohama in 2019, when Scotland were humiliated in a 27-3 defeat to the Irish.

Then, in the opening game of last year’s Six Nations, and in what was his first game as captain, Hogg dropped the ball calamitously, with the try-line — and a potential Scotland victory — within his grasp.

The full-back has come a long way since that dark day in Dublin last year. He has matured into his role. So, too, have Scotland improved. But they stand at a crossroads today.

Victory against Ireland at Murrayfield this afternoon would enhance the feeling of a Scotland resurgence. It would keep alive their hopes of winning this year’s Six Nations.

Defeat, however, would be like taking a pin to a balloon. Victory at Twickenham on the opening day would feel hollow, if it was then followed by successive home defeats to Wales and Ireland.

It is a match of monumental importance to both teams, for altogether different reasons. This is a match that neither team dare lose.

Ireland’s challenge this year has long since evaporated, following defeats to Wales and France over the opening two weekends. They are playing for pride as much as anything else, and to offer tangible signs of progress under head coach Andy Farrell.

Yet, the fact remains, a meeting with Scotland is likely to imbue them with renewed confidence. One look at the history books will do that.

Since the start of the Six Nations era, Ireland have won 17 of 21 games against Scotland. A return of just four wins in more than two decades is pitiful for the Scots.

The Irish have won all of the past five meetings. In the past ten years of the Six Nations, Scotland have only two wins against Ireland. For context, Italy have beaten France twice in that same period.

Gregor Townsend has never beaten Ireland since taking over as Scotland’s head coach in the summer of 2017.

The last time Scotland recorded a victory over Ireland was in the 2017 Six Nations under Vern Cotter. Hogg scored twice that day, and will need to be at his best once again today.

Finn Russell has never beaten Johnny Sexton in four attempts in international rugby, another box which has yet to be ticked from a Scottish perspective and one which will have implications for the Lions this summer.

Hogg and Russell remain Scotland’s two best players. Farrell is under no illusions about just how dangerous they will be to Ireland.

‘Like any game with top-class backs that are quite quick and dynamic in how they want to play the game, control the unpredictability, you’ve got to control the game up front,’ said the Ireland head coach.

‘Those two players will either play with their dinner suits on or not because of the speed of ball that they will require to be able to play into space. And it’s up to us to make sure that we slow that ball down for them so we can put some pressure on them ourselves.’ Farrell was on the Lions coaching staff in 2013 and again in 2017. Hogg was on both of those tours, so both men need no introduction. There is a healthy dollop of mutual respect.

‘Andy Farrell is a world-class coach,’ said the Scotland captain. ‘I think Ireland are very, very lucky to have a guy of that quality involved in their set-up. He’s coached at the highest level for a number of years.

‘Ireland are breeding a lot of good youngsters. They’re a good attacking team — they look to play a lot more than they potentially have done in the past. They’ve got some terrific individual quality and a lot of experience around that team.

‘It’s a big ask for us to go out there and perform and win a game, but to be the best you’ve got to beat the best teams, and Ireland are right up there. We’re excited for the challenge.’

Presented with the sight of a green jersey, Scotland have too often been left black and blue in recent years.

Like a boxer limping away from the ring, sore limbs and battered pride have been painfully frequent.

Ireland have dominated this contest up front. But there is a sense that they are trying to evolve from the Joe Schmidt era of wrestling teams into the ground, to now playing more expansively.

Hogg is wary that they might have some tricks up their sleeve, saying: ‘We’ve done a lot of analysis over the last couple of weeks. They have been very impressive during this Six Nations. They played with 14 men for a large majority of the game against Wales and probably should have won.

‘There’s a huge amount of experience. They’ll come up with an intricate play of some sort that we’ve probably not seen for a long time, or a completely different move. You have to expect the unexpected.’

What Scotland can expect is the renewal of a rivalry where no love has been lost over recent meetings.

It can be spiky. It can be edgy. ‘It’s always borderline warfare every time we play Scotland,’ said Ireland flanker Peter O’Mahony after last year’s Six Nations clash in Dublin.

But, against a team who have become their nemesis, Scotland must not take a backwards step. If they do, the sense of resurgence will be smashed by an Irish fist once again.