STUART Hogg insisted last
night that Scotland’s rugby squad are travelling to Japan with genuine ambitions of bringing home the title.
Gregor Townsend’s side won just one match in this year’s Six Nations competition but the British Lion, the second-most capped player in the 31-man squad named at Linlithgow Palace yesterday for next month’s global showpiece, feels they can mix it with any team on the planet on their day.
With the main omissions in the group being centres Huw Jones of Glasgow Warriors and Northampton Saints centre Rory Hutchinson, this is arguably a stronger group than the one under Vern Cotter which were only a controversial penalty decision against Australia away from making the last four of the 2015 World Cup. Fraser Brown and Jonny Gray are included, even though they have not featured in any of the warm-up matches, although Edinburgh back row Magnus Bradbury misses out after a recent rib injury.
“We’re going there to win it,” said Hogg. “It’s pointless saying otherwise.
“We’re not going to stand here and say we’re going to Japan to take it game by game, get to the quarter-finals or whatever. For us, that kind of thinking has been blown completely out of the water
“Yes, we’re taking it game by game – but doing that to get in a good position. If we’re not going across there to win it, what’s the point in going to Japan?”
Hogg is delighted to be returning to the showpiece, which sees Scotland paired with Ireland, Samoa, Russia and hosts Japan, one of no fewer than 13 of whom have previous World Cup experience.
“I’m absolutely delighted to be going to a World Cup again and I’ve been working incredibly hard to get where I want to be,” he said. “Now that the squad is named, the hard work starts again. I’m really looking forward to getting to Japan. I’ve got a lot of experience under my belt now, I’m trying to help the younger boys through. I’ve been around a long time, know a little bit, so I’m trying to get the best out of everybody in the squad.”
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