GREGOR’S SURE HE WILL GET WHOLE HOGG AS CAPTAIN
‘I was worried we might not work together’
SCOTLAND head coach Gregor Townsend has gone from thinking he may never work with Stuart Hogg again to naming him as his Six Nations captain.
Their working relationship hit rock bottom six years ago when Townsend was head coach at Glasgow Warriors and Hogg was a young full-back.
Eight months before his contract was due to end, Hogg went to Belfast for signing talks with Ulster behind Townsend’s back.
Once the then Warriors coach found out, he hauled Hogg into his office to read him the riot act but didn’t stop there. He dropped him from the first team and even left him out of the 2014 Pro12 play-off final defeat by Leinster.
The player was gutted at missing the showpiece match and his future at Glasgow hung in the balance over that summer before clear-the-air talks ended with him signing an extended contract at Scotstoun,
where he stayed until he joined Exeter Chiefs at the start of this season.
Hogg, now a two-time British and Irish Lion, has come a long way since those dark days and Townsend has total faith in the full-back to provide the spark Scotland needs in the Six Nations opener against Ireland on February 1.
‘At one time, I was worried we might not work together any more,’ said Townsend.
‘A lot of the reason for why we did was down to Stuart in the way he reacted that following season.
‘He came in and was ultraprofessional and determined to be the best player he could be. He was Six Nations Player of the Year and again the following season.’
Townsend met Hogg several times over the past few months to sound him out about taking over as Scotland captain from Stuart McInally, who admitted the pressure of being skipper during the World Cup had taken its toll on his mental health.
He was impressed by Hogg’s enthusiasm for the role and his top-class form this season with new club Exeter.
‘For me, Stuart was obviously a very strong candidate for the Scotland captaincy given his experience, his leadership ability and his desire to do the role, which was a big positive because it can be challenging,’ said Townsend.
‘I met him a few times to go through how he would captain the side, what he would do in the build-up and how he would handle certain situations.
‘I was impressed by his answers and the thought process that he’s gone into.
‘He’s a mature player in terms of what he contributes in meetings.
‘He’s consistent and passionate about Scotland, about playing for the jersey and helping the team win.
‘I think the experiences he’s had recently with going to a new club at Exeter, having to adapt to new coaches and a new way of playing, he’s done really well with that.
‘To me, he’s going to do a good job as Scotland captain. He’s going to be supported with some experienced players around him. He’s going to work to bring the best out of them and we’re looking forward to seeing how he goes.’
Townsend said there had been other candidates and felt these players would help Hogg when required.
He also indicated that 23year-old back-row forward Jamie Ritchie was a captain in the making.
‘We have some experienced players, Hamish Watson is obviously one, Jamie Ritchie is another,’ he said. ‘Jamie an outstanding international player, one of our best players last season.
‘To do as well as he did in our later games in Japan after fracturing his cheekbone showed character but also a lot of leadership.
‘We mentioned Stuart McInally, Fraser Brown, senior players who perform outstandingly well and contribute well and will be part of that leadership group.
‘But yes, we’re looking forward to how Stuart goes as a captain but he knows he has to work with others and bring others in.’