Stuart Hogg won't return for Scotland this Autumn following latest incident
Rugby NewsMonday, 28 October 2024 at 16:40
Montpellier's star full-back Stuart Hogg is facing a significant setback, as he’s set to miss five weeks of action due to a fractured right hand.
The injury was sustained during Saturday's Top 14 clash against Ronan O’Gara’s La Rochelle at GGL Stadium.
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Early Impact: Hogg’s Role in Montpellier’s Victory
The 32-year-old played a pivotal role in the match, contributing to what turned out to be Montpellier’s third win of the season.
Hogg's boot was instrumental, helping his team dominate La Rochelle in a convincing 16-0 victory. Even with his injury, the former Glasgow Warrior and Exeter Chiefs star showcased his skills, playing 69 minutes before being substituted for Thomas Vincent.
His stint at Montpellier has been lively, with the former Scotland captain not only scoring several impressive tries but also finding himself in a tussle with French star Thomas Ramos.
Surgery and Recovery: A Tough Road Ahead
According to reports from RMC in France, Hogg underwent surgery on Monday to address his fracture. With a recovery timeline of five weeks, this injury rules out any chance of him being recalled for Scotland during the Autumn Internationals.
Scotland head coach Gregor Townsend has remained tight-lipped about Hogg's potential international return, but this latest development will surely ease some pressure.
Legal Troubles and International Future: A Complicated Situation
Adding to the uncertainty, Hogg is currently dealing with legal issues back in Scotland, which left fans wondering if he would be sidelined from international duty regardless. However, with this injury, Townsend can breathe a sigh of relief, knowing he won’t be grilled about Hogg’s return in every press conference throughout the month.
When Hogg made the decision to come out of retirement and join Montpellier, Townsend commented, “He was obviously a fantastic rugby player who was in our World Cup training squad before he decided to retire. If he does come back, we wish him all the best.”
Hogg’s Role at Montpellier: A Key Player
Since joining Montpellier this season, Hogg has quickly become a crucial figure in the team’s backline, even stepping in at fly-half in recent matches.
While the timeline for his return remains uncertain, the break in competition could provide him with a valuable opportunity to recover and minimise the matches missed.
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Three ex-Lions were not impressed with Warren Gatland as head coach
Finn Russell has become the latest Lions tourist to openly criticize head coach Warren Gatland following the 2-1 series defeat against South Africa.
#1. Sean O'Brien (2017)
The Irishman started all three Tests of the 1-1 drawn series with New Zealand.
"If we had a little more structure during the weeks, and more of an attack gameplan, driven way earlier in the tour, I think we could have won 3-0," O'Brien said.
"With the players we had, we should have won the series."
He later reinforced this point of view during an interview with Lions teammate James Haskell
“When you look at the players we had – there was so much world-class talent in the squad, enough to have won all the Tests.
“I know all about the history, how the Lions have only won seven Tests or something like that in New Zealand over the years.
"But look at what has happened to New Zealand since 2017. They’re still a brilliant team. But we (Ireland) beat them in 2018; South Africa beat them down there in 2018, Argentina had their win last year, England destroyed them in the (2019) World Cup.
“Think about it. The Lions not only had the best of England but also Ireland, Scotland and Wales. That’s where I was coming from; we had the players to do it. I didn’t intend to insult or undermine anyone by saying that.
“I certainly don’t want to do that this time because Warren’s a good coach, the right man to lead this tour. But do I still think we could have won 3-0? Yeah, I do.”
Sean O'Brien facts:
- Internationally, he played for Ireland for ten years, and toured twice with the British & Irish Lions in 2013 and 2017
- O'Brien played across the back-row, though he primarily plays as an openside flanker
- He bought Bellamy's Pub in Ballsbridge with Leinster teammates Rob Kearney, Dave Kearney and Jamie Heaslip. After an extensive refurbishment, it was reopened as "The Bridge 1859"
#2. Finn Russell (2021)
Speaking on the Scottish Rugby podcast, he has been reflecting on the campaign.
“I thought that all three Tests we should have played more rugby and gone at them a little bit more,” he said.
“The first two Tests we played off nine for two phases and I kind of felt that played into their defence.
“We weren’t doing much out of the back of it. We were keeping the attack narrow instead of having a wide attack.
“The first ten minutes of the third Test, there was still quite a bit of kicking and a lot of play off nine.
“There wasn’t much rugby that actually got played.
“I was sitting on the bench thinking we are doing the same as in the last two games even though we’ve spoken about being a little bit more expansive.
“With coming on early enough, I was able to try and play that style of rugby.”
Finn Russell facts:
- His father played a lot of racket sports, and worked in sports administration, including as Director of Domestic Rugby for the Scottish Rugby Union
- After secondary school, he pursued an apprenticeship for three years as a stonemason, in a business owned by a family friend, whilst his rugby developed
- Russell has been nicknamed 'Russell the Muscle' due to having a somewhat slender build for a modern-day rugby player
- Fly-half Russell was capped with the Barbarians against England during the mid-year rugby tests
- In 2013 Russell received the John Macphail Scholarship, linked with New Zealand's Lincoln University
#3. Brian O'Driscoll (2013)
While not playing in the final test was already a bitter pill to swallow, O’Driscoll revealed on The Rugby Centurions podcast on The XV that not being allowed to take part in training was particularly difficult.
“I came down on the Friday and on our whiteboard it said, ‘Non-23 are not needed at training’. I thought, ‘They don’t even want us to hold shields’. I found that very difficult.
“You just want to have the connectivity to it, and that’s the issue with Lions tours – there is a breakaway group in that final week that just want to be home.
“I wasn’t ready to be part of that, I just wanted to be part of the group that could create history and even have a small impact in getting them prepared.
“I said to Gatland a few years afterwards that I thought that was a mistake, they should have given an option to players that wanted to go training to go and be part of the collective, because in so many teams it’s those that don’t get chosen that prep the team for battle.
“I said that as captain for years and then all of a sudden I had to live it. And I couldn’t be poacher turned gamekeeper because it didn’t suit Gatland.
“I remember that
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