Hogg to be named Scotland captain
STUART HOGG is set to be named Scotland’s captain for the Six Nations.
Sportsmail understands that, unless head coach Gregor Townsend has a lastminute change of heart, the full-back will be announced as his skipper today. Townsend has been impressed by 27-year-old Hogg’s growing maturity as a player and his form at his new club Exeter Chiefs this season. The two-time British and Irish Lion has captained his country just the once, in the loss to the USA in Houston two years ago, but has been vice-captain on numerous other occasions since. If, as expected, he is named captain, he will take over from Stuart McInally who was Scotland’s captain heading into the World Cup. Meanwhile, Duhan van der Merwe has admitted that he feared his career was over when he failed a medical on arrival at Edinburgh. And the future Scotland international, who qualifies for national service in time for the summer tour of his native South Africa, believes he owed the capital club a debt of gratitude — part of the reason he has signed a new deal to stay put.
The winger, who arrived from Montpellier in the summer of 2017, confessed: ‘The club threw me a lifeline when I failed my medical. ‘I was in France, I couldn’t really speak any French and I was struggling with my hip for about 14 months. ‘I came over, did a medical and said: “There’s something wrong with my hip, I don’t know what it is”. I went to see the doctors and failed my medical. I thought: “Oh no”. ‘Who was going to fix my hip? Where was I going to get rehab and all of that? So I’m really grateful for them backing me. ‘The club looked after me really well. I’ve developed my career here and I want to keep developing as a player, so it was easy for me to decide to stay here.’
GLASGOW WARRIORS could be without Callum Gibbins for their Champions Cup match against Sale Sharks after he was cited for an incident in the drawn match against Exeter Chiefs last weekend. The back-row forward was shown a yellow card by referee Romain Poite after leading with his shoulder for a challenge on Jacques Vermeulen, and will now face a disciplinary committee in London today. If he is found guilty and the yellow is upgraded to a red, the least he can expect is a two-week ban.