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'Jonny Gray was quite disappointed... he was sitting next to us and didn't get in the photo'

(Photo by Rogan Thomson/INPHO via EPCR)

Stuart Hogg has explained the backstory to his hewartwarming post-match ‘beers’ picture with Finn Russell following last Saturday’s Champions Cup final between Exeter and Racing in Bristol.

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The snap of the victorious Hogg and the vanquished Russell went viral following the Anglo-French final at Ashton Gate, the two Scottish pals sharing a beer following a match that took place before Russell’s return to Gregor Townsend’s international squad.

Russell walked out of the Scotland team hotel last January ahead of preparations for their Six Nations opener against Ireland and amid the fallout he wasn’t selected in any of the squads Townsend picked that spring. 

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Wasps boss Lee Blackett on his team’s transformation in 2020

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Wasps boss Lee Blackett on his team’s transformation in 2020

However, following clear-the-air talks, Russell this week has returned to the Scotland squad ahead of their Friday night game with Georgia which will be followed next week by their trip to Wales for the final round of the delayed Six Nations.

Appearing on this week’s episode of The Rugby Pod, Scotland captain Hogg explained that the national team furore with Russell was overblown. He also let slip Jonny Gray’s disappointment that he didn’t appear in the post-game picture with Russell and Hogg, as he was sharing a beer with them at the time.  

“What’s happened happened,” said Hogg in relation to the fallout between Russell and Towenend last January. “We can’t change anything. From that point of view it was all blown way out of proportion to what actually happened. 

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“Finn and I are very, very good mates and I wanted to go and see how he was after the game. We said in the lead-up up to the game we’d have a beer or two. As I said, he’s a very good mate of mine and I wanted to see how he was. 

“Jonny Gray was actually quite disappointed as he was sitting next to us as well and he didn’t get in the photo. He said, ‘Hoggy, this looks really bad, it looks like I have not to come to see how Finn’s getting on…’

“It was good. For me that’s part of rugby, having a beer with your opposition, and it just happens that he is one of my best mates. I wanted to see how he was. Obviously I was disappointed for him that he didn’t get the win, so it was kind of a weird feeling, but he was chuffed to bits. 

“We had a couple of beers, a good blather, and he’s absolutely buzzing to be back in (Scotland) camp this week. He can get his 50th cap this week, so it’s a big week for him.”  

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AM 5 minutes ago
'Freelancer' Izaia Perese shows the need for true inclusivity in Australian rugby

That's Cron's job though. Australia has had one of the most penalised scrums in international rugby for a long time. Just look at the scrum win loss percentage and scrum penalties. That is your evidence. AA has been the starter during that period. Pretty simple analysis. That Australia has had a poor scrum for a long time is hardly news. If bell and thor are not on the field they are woeful. So you are just plain wrong. They have very little time for the lions so doing the same old things that dont work is not going to get them there.


Ainsley is better than our next best tighthead options and has been playing well at scrum time for Lyon in the most competitive comp in the world. Superstar player? No. But better than the next best options. So that is a good enough guide. The scrummaging in the Prem is pretty good too so there is Sio's proof. Same analysis for him. Certainly better in both cases than Super, where the brumbies had the worst win loss and scrum pen in Super. Who plays there? Ohh yes... And the level of scrummaging in Super is well below the URC, prem and France with the SA teams out.


Nongorr is truly woeful. He's 130kg and gets shoved about. That just should not be happening at that weight for a specialist prop who has always played rugby cf pone with leauge. He has had enough time to develop at 23. You'd be better off with Pone who is at least good around the field for the moment and sending Nongorr on exchange to France or England to see if they can improve him with better coaching as happened with Skelton and Meafou. He isn't going to develop in time in super if he has it at all.


Latu is a better scrummaging hooker than BPA and Nasser. and he's the best aussie player over the ball at ruck time. McReight's super jackling percentage hasnt converted to international level but latu consistently does it at heniken level, which is similar to test level in the big games. With good coaching at La Rochelle he's much improved though still has the odd shocker. He should start the November games.

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