Stuart Hogg will go down as one of Scotland’s all-time greats

As Stuart Hogg himself admitted yesterday, ‘We knew this day would come someday’.

Still, the news of his immediate retirement three months ahead of schedule has made things even more difficult.

Will we ever see his likes again in a dark blue shirt? There is no doubt that he will go down in history as one of Scotland’s greatest players of all time – and certainly one of the most dynamic and exciting to watch.

It’s a matter of choosing where you would place him on the list of the country’s greatest full-backs ever. Personally, I’d have Gavin Hastings at number 1, Andy Irvine at number 2, and then Hogg, but he fully deserves to be mentioned in such esteemed company.

As captain, he led the Scots to a number of famous victories, culminating in a Six Nations victory over England at Twickenham in 2021, Scotland’s first in the home of English rugby for 38 years.

It was the kind of triumph that Hogg epitomized. He was someone who captured the imagination of the wider sports audience, he was our first real star of the professional game.

If you asked someone on the street to name a Scottish rugby player they would call him or Finn Russell.

For that reason alone, his retirement from playing will be a huge blow to the game’s profile here. How terribly sad that he was not able to give us one last hurray at the World Cup this year.

With the teeth, the tattoos, the big hair and the magnetic personality, he was a Scottish sports superstar. It was a joy to see him in action at his peak. Everyone has their own favorite Hogg moment.

Who can forget the win over Wales at Murrayfield in 2016 and his magnificent quick pass to Tim Visser in the corner? Or the interception attempt when he ran from deep in his own half to score against Italy in 2013?

Another personal favorite was the 2015 try, where the Welsh fell victim again, as he ran from his own half to score after a loss of possession.

Likewise, most of us will forever cherish the moment in 2016 when he ran 55 yards to land after tearing apart the Irish defense.

As hard as it is to admit after yesterday’s announcement, his decision to bring forward his retirement makes sense.

In all of the aforementioned attempts, Hogg turned on the afterburners and left defenders in his wake. If that turnaround were jeopardized during the World Cup, we wouldn’t see the player he once was.

He clearly struggled during training camp in Scotland to meet his high fitness standards, so why possibly go to France as a passenger? It would have been even worse if he had spent most of his career in the stands in the stands.

Scottish head coach Gregor Townsend obviously respects Hogg’s decision to call it a day, but it has really given him a headache.

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Glasgow Warriors specialist fullback Ollie Smith has potential but has only three caps. He may not be ready to start against South Africa in September.

Blair Kinghorn remains a jack of all trades and master of none. With Hogg out of the picture, it’s time to crack down on this crazy decision to continue with Kinghorn in fly-half. He needs to focus on trying to become a world class fullback.

Bath’s Ruaridh McConnochie has been called up following Hogg’s withdrawal and could be the man to come out of nowhere to start at fullback for the Scots.

He is fast and likes to attack from deep, like Hogg, and is experienced enough to deal with attacks under the high ball by the South Africans.

But that’s all a debate for another day when we reflect on Hogg’s stellar career.

He made his Scotland debut in 2012 when he came off the bench in the Six Nations defeat to Wales. He took over from Rory Lamont at fullback that day and went on to make the number 15 jersey his own. Typical of the man was that he scored a try against the French on his first start at Murrayfield.

After moving from Glasgow to Exeter in 2019, he was named Scotland captain the following year. Hogg captained the national team for just over two years – Jamie Ritchie took over the role after Townsend opted to change.

He has represented his country at two World Cups and captained the side in back-to-back wins over England in 2021 and 2022, as well as playing his part in a historic win against France in Paris in 2021 – Scotland’s first victory there in more than 20 years.

Hogg entered the record books that same year when he became the nation’s top try-scorer, landing against Japan for the 25th time in his international career. He bows out with 27 scores, three more than Ian Smith and Tony Stanger.

It was a source of great pride for the player and his family as he celebrated his 100th international match against Ireland earlier this year. Perhaps it was a sign of things to come, though, as he was forced off in the closing stages with an ankle injury that ruled him out of the final Six Nations match against Italy.

Also, when it comes to praising Hogg, let’s not forget that at a time when Scottish players were as rare as chicken teeth in the British and Irish Lions squads, he consistently made the cut. He went on each of the last three tours in 2013, 2017 and 2021, starting two Tests in the last of them in South Africa.

In his club career, Hogg won the PRO12 with Glasgow Warriors in 2015 and the European Champions Cup and Gallagher Premiership with Exeter Chiefs in 2020.

SRU chief executive Mark Dodson was scared for the money yesterday when he described Stuart Hogg as ‘a superstar’.

He will be sorely missed, and even harder to replace.

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