Scotland captain Stuart Hogg has insisted that head coach Gregor Townsend is not under pressure ahead of today’s Six Nations clash against Italy in Rome.
Coming off the back of a hugely disappointing World Cup campaign in which the team failed to make it out of the pool stage, and following the highly publicised walk-out star playmaker Finn Russell – who subsequently gave a newspaper interview in which he was scathing of Townsend’s tactics and man-management failings – there has been unprecedented speculation in recent weeks about the coach’s suitability to the job.
Scotland have been competitive in their opening two matches of this championship against Ireland away and England at home – exhibiting a robustness in defence which was not previously evident – however, there has been a conspicuous absence of killer instinct in the strike zone, leaving them with just two losing bonus points to their name.
It has been suggested that Townsend will be relieved of his position immediately if his team come up short in Rome this weekend, although it is highly unlikely that the axe will fall until the final two matches of the campaign against France and Wales have been played out.
Both sides are winless so far in the championship, and this appears – as is the norm for this particular fixture – to be a wooden spoon decider. However, Hogg believes that the payers rather than the coach should carry the can for the team’s failure to escape their long-established status as perennial Six Nations strugglers.
“I don’t think Gregor is under pressure,” claimed Hogg, after the captain’s run at the Stadio Olimpico yesterday lunchtime. “I think he is a terrific coach. It is us [the players] that play the game at the end of the day. We’ve been in a position a few times to win Test matches and we’ve let some go.
“There are always areas to work on. The Ireland game, for instance, we talked about our finish zone. We are getting the tools to be successful we’re just not clicking at times and nailing every opportunity. You might get six or seven opportunities in a game and you have to make the most of every single one. At times we haven’t and that’s the reason we’re not winning Test matches.”
Hogg acknowledged that this is a hugely significant match but insisted that external factors such as press and fan criticism of the coach and the way the team is playing has not added to the pressure.
“The main thing is we concentrate on ourselves, nail our detail in attack and be rock solid in defence,” he said. “We need to shut down the Italians. We’re coming off the back of two defeats, we know there’s a lot on the line tomorrow – but we believe we can get a result. It’s a huge challenge for us but one we’re looking forward to.
“We have worked incredibly hard over the past few weeks. The boys have had a good couple of sessions in the fallow week last week and we have been taking small steps to ensure we get this victory.
“We will front up and really take the game to the Italians as that is what this game demands. We have an opportunity to express ourselves out there, have some fun – stick a Scotland jersey on again and show what it really means to play for Scotland.
“The only pressure is the pressure we put on ourselves. We believe in our game plan, our individual ability and our collective ability to make sure that we win Test matches. The only pressure is the stuff that come from us. Whatever comes from out-with us is irrelevant.”
Hogg has had a turbulent start to his tenure as Scotland captain, with the fall-out of the Russell affair and two championship losses being compounded by a couple of costly individual errors against Ireland and England – but he says his morale is undented and his hunger to lead the side is undiminished.
“A defeat in a Scotland jersey hurts for everybody, but in the last couple of weeks I have taken it a little bit more personally being captain,” he said. “That is because I care – because I want to make a difference – because I want boys to be able to play with some freedom so that we can express ourselves as a team.
“Everything is not going to go our way all the time, but I believe the mood in camp now is a positive one and long may that continue.
“I am always looking to improve and have had numerous conversations with people involved in Scottish rugby to get the best out of me and the best out of the players,” he added. “Nobody is ever the complete rugby player. Nobody is the complete captain, but I am willing to learn as I want to make a difference.
“I will be doing what I normally do [this weekend], going out to express myself and have some fun. Everybody concentrates on the negatives nowadays, rather than the positives that happened in the game. I believe I’ve done a lot of good stuff in the past couple of weeks as well.
“I’m a confident player. I believe in my ability. I know that, on my day, I can play some good rugby. I’m looking forward to doing that tomorrow.”
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