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Video: The full Stuart Hogg press conference after 'schoolboy' gaffe costs Scotland

(RugbyPass)

Shell-shocked Stuart Hogg has apologised for the incredible “schoolboy” gaffe that cost Scotland dear in Dublin.

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The star full-back was looking to lead his team to victory on his first outing as Dark Blues captain.

Scotland player ratings Stuart Hogg
Getty Images

But, with the Scots trailing by seven points 11 minutes into the second half, he blew a certain try with an astonishing blunder when the ball slipped out of his grasp as he attempted to dot down.

With that let-off, Ireland were allowed to hand new coach Andy Farrell a maiden Guinness Six Nations win as they ground out a 19-12 triumph at the Aviva Stadium.

Asked to explain what had happened, Hogg replied: “Just a schoolboy error. I’m gutted with how that happened. I can’t change what’s happened now. I just need to get on with it.

“I apologised to the boys. What will be will be and we have to move on.

“I’m bitterly disappointed to drop the ball over the line. We got ourselves into a good position after the forwards’ good work.

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“I’m so disappointed I couldn’t finish it off.”

Expectation levels among the Scottish faithful have rarely been lower after a disastrous 2019, which ended with a first-round World Cup exit.

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The fact they crossed the Irish Sea without talisman Finn Russell after his late-night drinking session controversy only lowered expectations.

Yet Gregor Townsend’s team fronted up in a way they failed to do when taking on Ireland in Japan last year and should have punished Farrell’s side more than once.

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But despite furrowing to within five yards of the Irish line on six occasions, they failed to cross the whitewash.

Ireland were hardly sparking themselves but did enough to claim victory thanks to Jonny Sexton – himself captaining his country for the first time – after the Leinster ace scored the only try of the game while also contributing 14 points with his boot.

Hogg said: “I’m incredibly proud of the boys. We came across here with a huge task on our hands and we fronted up.

“Our defence stood firm, something we’ve worked on incredibly hard over the last couple of weeks.

“I’m proud of their efforts. We’re bitterly disappointed not to have come away with a result.

“We feel we’re in a good place and it’s now about kicking on and learning from today come next Saturday.

https://twitter.com/RugbyPass/status/1223677115377311744/photo/1

“We talk a lot about our conversion rate in attack and making sure when we get into the 22 we’re coming away with points.

“Unfortunately we came up short there.”

Farrell was delighted to get his reign off to a winning start, saying: “I thought we thoroughly deserved the win, although I thought Scotland were great.

“It was a good Test match. First up, it was very attritional, I thought that Scotland’s forwards were excellent.

Stuart Hogg Scotland Ireland

“Defensively they were hitting hard and we know what a threat they can be with ball in hand and we had to fight and dig deep plenty of times.

“Our performance, you can sum it up in the last five minutes, really. We asked the lads all week to make sure they star for something and I think you could easily see the true grit.”

There was concern around the stadium when back-rower Caelan Doris went down after a heavy hit and had to be replaced just four minutes into his debut.

But Farrell reported: “He’s up and talking. He’s there with his family now in the changing room, they’ve just presented a cap to him and he’s in fine spirits.

“It was unfortunate for him, it was just an accident, head on head. It’s just unfortunate for him. He’ll lick his wounds and he’ll be back.”

PA

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Flankly 47 minutes ago
'Absolute madness': Clive Woodward rips into Borthwick in wake of NZ loss

Borthwick is supposed to be the archetypical conservative coach, the guy that might not deliver a sparkling, high-risk attacking style, but whose teams execute the basics flawlessly. And that's OK, because it can be really hard to beat teams that are rock solid and consistent in the rugby equivalent of "blocking and tackling".


But this is why the performance against NZ is hard to defend. You can forgive a conservative, back-to-basics team for failing to score tons of tries, because teams like that make up for it with reliability in the simple things. They can defend well, apply territorial pressure, win the set piece battles, and take their scoring chances with metronomic goal kicking, maul tries and pick-and-go goal line attacks.


The reason why the English rugby administrators should be on high alert is not that the English team looked unable to score tries, but that they were repeatedly unable to close out a game by executing basic, coachable skills. Regardless of how they got to the point of being in control of their destiny, they did get to that point. All that was needed was to be world class at things that require more training than talent. But that training was apparently missing, and the finger has to point at the coach.


Borthwick has been in the job for nearly two years, a period that includes two 6N programs and an RWC campaign. So where are the solid foundations that he has been building?

4 Go to comments
N
Nickers 56 minutes ago
Scott Robertson responds to criticism over All Blacks' handling errors

Very poor understanding of what's going on and 0 ability to read. When I say playing behind the gain line you take this to mean all off-loads and site times we are playing in front of the gain line???


Every time we play a lot of rugby behind the gain line (for clarity, meaning trying to build an attack and use width without front foot ball 5m+ behind the most recent breakdown) we go backwards and turn the ball over in some way. Every time a player is tackled behind the most recent breakdown you need more and more people to clear out because your forwards have to go back around the corner, whereas opposition players can keep moving forward. Eventually you run out of either players to clear out or players to pass to and the result in a big net loss of territory and often a turnover. You may have witnessed that 20+ times in the game against England. This is a particularly dumb idea inside your own 40m which is where, for some reason, we are most likely to employ it.


The very best ABs teams never built an identity around attacking from poor positions. The DC era team was known for being the team that kicked the most. To engineer field position and apply pressure, and create broken play to counter attack. This current team is not differentiating between when a defence has lost it's structure and there are opportunities, and when they are completely set and there is nothing on. The reason they are going for 30 minute + periods in every game without scoring a single point, even against Japan and a poor Australian team, is because they are playing most of their rugby on the back foot in the wrong half.

43 Go to comments
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Nickers 1 hour ago
Scott Robertson responds to criticism over All Blacks' handling errors

I thought we made a lot of progress against that type of defence by the WC last year. Lots of direct running and punching holes rather than using width. Against that type of defence I think you have to be looking to kick on first phase when you have front foot ball which we did relatively successfully. We are playing a lot of rugby behind the gain line at the moment. They are looking for those little interchanges for soft shoulders and fast ball or off loads but it regularly turns into them battering away with slow ball and going backwards, then putting in a very rushed kick under huge pressure.


JB brought that dimension when he first moved into 12 a couple of years ago but he's definitely not been at his best this year. I don't know if it is because he is being asked to play a narrow role, or carrying a niggle or two, but he does not look confident to me. He had that clean break on the weekend and stood there like he was a prop who found himself in open space and didn't know what to do with the ball. He is still a good first phase ball carrier though, they use him a lot off the line out to set up fast clean ball, but I don't think anyone is particularly clear on what they are supposed to do at that point. He was used really successfully as a second playmaker last year but I don't think he's been at that role once this year. He is a triple threat player but playing a very 1 dimensional role at the moment. He and Reiko have been absolutely rock solid on defence which is why I don't think there will be too much experimentation or changes there.

43 Go to comments
LONG READ
LONG READ England need to face a few home truths if they are to relearn that winning habit England need to face a few home truths if they are to relearn that winning habit
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