Historic day for Stuart – despite Finn wind-up!

Stuart Hogg made history in the 27th minute of yesterday’s game against Japan, writes

ALAN SHAW.

He burst through the Brave Blossoms’ defence to score his 25th Test try, taking him clear of Ian Smith and Tony Stanger as Scotland’s all-time top try scorer.

You could see what it meant to the skipper as he grinned and pumped his left fist in the air before grounding the ball for that record-making touchdown.

“I loved it,” said Hogg. “And I loved to then be told by Ali Price and Hamish Watson to put the ball down before I celebrate!

“But I absolutely loved it. I think you can see in my reaction how much it meant to me but the main thing is we got a good win and we’ll take it and move on.”

Hogg’s authority as captain appeared to be tested by his maverick fly-half Finn Russell late in the game.

The Scots had been awarded a straightforward penalty in front of the posts and three points would have made the game safe but Russell seemed determined to punt it into the corner in the hope of a try until his skipper told him to go for the posts in no uncertain terms.

But Hogg downplayed the debate, laughing: “I don’t want to give away our tactics but he told me after the game he was only winding me up, which was fine because there were three of us against him and I like to think he was going to listen to us!

“It was never in doubt that we were going to the posts but he just thought he’d try and waste a little bit of time by winding me up – and wind me up he did.

“We’re yet to find the complete 80-minute performance but I think that was because we were put under a lot of pressure by Japan.

“They managed to hold onto the ball for large periods of the game and, as you could see, the ref was favouring the attacking side, so we just had to take our medicine and be clinical when we got an opportunity.”