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Exeter rate Hogg's return: 'Life isn't always about looking back'

(Photo by David Rogers/Getty Images)

Rob Baxter has outlined his satisfaction that Stuart Hogg is now part of the starting Exeter XV again and that the pair have put behind them the decisions that resulted in the Scotland captain sitting on the Chiefs’ bench for last June’s Gallagher Premiership and semi-final. It was a hard-fought round 22 match versus Sale at Sandy Park that prompted Baxter to take drastic action and demote Hogg from his starting line-up at the business end of the season. 

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Hogg looked off the pace in that Exeter match against the Sharks and when the same teams clashed the following weekend, the Scot had been demoted to the bench and he was also a replacement behind Jack Nowell for the subsequent Twickenham final versus Harlequins. 

Having since been on tour with the Lions where he started two of the three Test matches, Hogg returned to the Exeter fold for last weekend’s trip to Sale and the full-back looked the part on this occasion against an opposition that had caused him so much trouble 16 weeks previously.  

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The Chiefs clinched their first win of the new season at the third attempt and Baxter was effusive in his praise of Hogg when asked at his midweek media briefing about the 29-year-old contribution in Manchester. 

“I thought he was very, very good,” he said. “It was kind of what I was expecting. I made a couple of tough decisions on Stuart at the end of last season but I still think they were okay and they were the right decisions, and I’ll make the right decisions now. 

“He came into training, told me the Monday of the Sale game he was raring to go, ready to play, wanted to be involved, want to get on with things and that is what he did. He has bounced back from disappointment before. He has lost games of rugby before, things haven’t gone his way before and he has kept coming through. He looks to me like he is bang on form. He looks fit, looks sharp, looks quick, looks strong. 

“There wasn’t much more he could have done for us at the weekend. He beat numerous men, he looked strong on the ball, he looked quick, his kicking game was very good, his decision making was very good. He was chatting with the back three, his organising was very good. I couldn’t have asked much more of him. I am just very pleased for him and very pleased he is getting on with things.”

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Baxter added that the focus should now be on the future rather than a continuous reflection on the Exeter team selections of last June. “He went on a Lions tour and it wasn’t unsuccessful for him. He started on two Lions Tests, he is Scotland captain, the autumn internationals are coming up. Stuart has got a lot of big things to play for. He has come straight in, helped us win our first game of the season, and has got ambitions to help us win European trophies and Premiership trophies. There is a lot ahead. 

“Life isn’t always about looking back. Now he has just got to look ahead about the positives that are right in front of him. There are games for us that are right in front of him and in a few weeks’ time he is probably going to be captaining Scotland in another international in front of a sellout crowd. There is a lot of positives for him to look forward to. You don’t have to always get bogged down in the past.”

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Oh no, not him again? 2 hours ago
England internationals disagree on final play execution vs All Blacks

Okay, so we blew it big time on Saturday. So rather than repeating what most people have all ready said, what do I want to see from Borthwick going forward?


Let's keep Marcus Smith on the pitch if he's fit and playing well. I was really pleased with his goal kicking. It used to be his weakness. I feel sympathy for George Ford who hadn't kicked all match and then had a kick to win the game. You hear pundits and commentators commend kickers who have come off the bench and pulled that off. Its not easy. If Steve B continues to substitute players with no clear reason then he is going to get criticised.


On paper I thought England would beat NZ if they played to their potential and didn't show NZ too much respect. Okay, the off the ball tackles certainly stopped England scoring tries, but I would have liked to see more smashing over gainlines and less kicking for position. Yes, I also know it's the Springbok endorsed world cup double winning formula but the Kiwi defence isn't the Bok defence, is it. If you have the power to put Smith on the front foot then why muzzle him? I guess what I'm saying is back, yourself. Why give the momentum to a team like NZ? Why feed the beast? Don't give the ball to NZ. Well d'uh.


Our scrum is a long term weakness. If you are going to play Itoje then he needs an ogre next door and a decent front row. Where is our third world class lock? Where are are realible front row bench replacements? The England scrum has been flakey for a while now. It blows hot and cold. Our front five bench is not world class.


On the positive side I love our starting backrow right now. I'd like to see them stick together through to the next world cup.


Anyway, there is always another Saturday.

7 Go to comments
C
CO 2 hours ago
Scott Robertson responds to criticism over All Blacks' handling errors

Robertson is more a manager of coaches than a coach so it comes down to intent of outcomes at a high level. I like his intent, I like the fact his Allblacks are really driving the outcomes however as he's pointed out the high error rates are not test level and their control of the game is driving both wins and losses. England didn't have to play a lot of rugby, they made far fewer mistakes and were extremely unlucky not to win.


In fact the English team were very early in their season and should've been comfortably beaten by an Allblacks team that had played multiple tests together.


Razor has himself recognised that to be the best they'll have to sort out the crisis levels of mistakes that have really increased since the first two tests against England.


Early tackles were a classic example of hyper enthusiasm to not give an inch, that passion that Razor has achieved is going to be formidable once the unforced errors are eliminated.


That's his secret, he's already rebuilt the passion and that's the most important aspect, its inevitable that he'll now eradicate the unforced errors. When that happens a fellow tier one nation is going to get thrashed. I don't think it will be until 2025 though.


The Allblacks will lose both tests against Ireland and France if they play high error rates rugby like they did against England.


To get the unforced errors under control he's going to be needing to handover the number eight role to Sititi and reset expectations of what loose forwards do. Establish a clear distinction with a large, swarthy lineout jumper at six that is a feared runner and dominant tackler and a turnover specialist at seven that is abrasive in contact. He'll then need to build depth behind the three starters and ruthlessly select for that group to be peaking in 2027 in hit Australian conditions on firm, dry grounds.


It's going to help him that Savea is shifting to the worst super rugby franchise where he's going to struggle behind a beaten pack every week.


The under performing loose forward trio is the key driver of the high error rates and unacceptable turn overs due to awol link work. Sititi is looking like he's superman compared to his openside and eight.


At this late stage in the season they shouldn't be operating with just the one outstanding loose forward out of four selected for the English test. That's an abject failure but I think Robertson's sacrificing link quality on purpose to build passion amongst the junior Allblacks as they see the reverential treatment the old warhorses are receiving for their long term hard graft.


It's unfortunately losing test matches and making what should be comfortable wins into nail biters but it's early in the world cup cycle so perhaps it's a sacrifice worth making.


However if this was F1 then Sam Cane would be Riccardo and Ardie would be heading into Perez territory so the loose forwards desperately need revitalisation through a rebuild over the next season to complement the formidable tight five.

28 Go to comments
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