Warren Gatland has been warned he’ll blow a hole in the credibility of the Lions if Scotland duo Hamish Watson and Stuart Hogg are not carefully taking into consideration about the upcoming tour of South Africa.
That is the ogle of an an increasing model of unimpressed Scottish media, which has hit reduction at what it has dubbed the “odd sport” of “rubbishing the credentials of Scotland’s Lions candidates”.
Watson became as soon as final week accused of being ‘too mild-weight’ in opposition to the prospective test of the Springboks by one journalist, whereas Hogg has now found his credentials called into query by Stuart Barnes.
He launched a shock attack on the Scotland captain in his most up-to-date Times column, the headline of which branded Hogg “an accident waiting to happen in South Africa”.
Hogg is broadly expected to be in the running for what would be his third tour this summer season and, in the eyes of many, further cemented his credentials with an spectacular exhibiting for Exeter Chiefs in opposition to Wasps on the weekend.
On condition that Hogg is also the foremost man to captain Scotland to victories in England and France in the identical season since 1926, he appears to be like to be shoo in for this summer season’s showdown with the sphere champions.
On the assorted hand, writing for the Sunday Times, Barnes argued there’s a flipside to the 28-year broken-down’s recreation, particular person that may perhaps possibly be seized upon and punished by the Springboks.
Commenting on the beefy-reduction’s performance on the weekend, Barnes wrote: “More is wished if he is to atomize the Take a look at group.”
He argued: “The negatives of his recreation can outweigh his enticing array of positives. Within the European Champions Cup quarter-final loss to Leinster, twice he became as soon as caught on his heels in defence and twice the Irish aspect exploited this positional frailty with tries.
“Wasps’ Paolo Odogwu also beat Hogg with ease in a one-on-one by the touchline on Saturday. In opposition to an opposition that boasts the though-provoking Cheslin Kolbe, he’ll enjoy to fabricate better.
“Whereas one in every of his tries belonged to Hogg and Hogg on my own, that greatest scratched out the Josh Bassett Wasps strive for which nobody else can portion the blame. Hogg took an age over a clearing kick and became as soon as charged down. That, and a wild offload 30 metres from his absorb tryline, are the flip aspect of Hogg.”
Interestingly, Barnes has hinted that Wales superstar Liam Williams may perhaps even successfully uncover a smarter option in terms of facing the excessive ball – a capacity weakness he believes South Africa may perhaps even trace to use.
“He will not be one in every of the sphere’s most dominant presences under a excessive ball either. Hugo Keenan and Liam Williams are markedly superior in an aspect of the recreation where the Springboks will hunt for weaknesses.
“Hogg’s devastating counterattack and his long-fluctuate boot (particularly to counter the house group’s kicking recreation at altitude) are his high sources. He is — on his day — one in every of the Lions match-winners.
“But that isn’t ample to ink him into the Take a look at group. There are superior defensive beefy backs on hand to Gatland. He has been extraordinarily shaky in the previous fortnight. There may be also the capacity for the Hogg howler.
“Dropped balls over the motorway, charged-down kicks, moments of recklessness, it is reputedly phase of the atomize-up of basically the most delightful beefy reduction in Britain and Eire. The query have to be: is Hogg more of a risk to South Africa than he is a chance to be taken income of?”
The Scottish media enjoy, perhaps unsurprisingly taken a shadowy ogle of Barnes’ comments and demand that to overlook Hogg and Watson would undermine the integrity of the Lions as an thought.
Writing in The Scotsman, journalist Graham Bean hit reduction: “Final week it became as soon as Hamish Watson – too tiny, it appears to be like. This week it’s Stuart Hogg – defensively flaky, in accordance with Stuart Barnes, the broken-down England cruise-half.
“Neither inform stands as a lot as unheard of scrutiny. Every Scots loved a successful Six Worldwide locations, with Watson a worthy winner of the followers’ pollfor participant of the tournament.
“The strangest ingredient about Barnes’ criticism became as soon as the timing, coming as it did on the reduction of a performance for Exeter Chiefs in opposition to Wasps wherein Hogg scored two tries.
“The 2nd of the ratings became as soon as one in every of those ‘worldies’ that sends Twitter ablaze.
“Scots enjoy long nursed a criticism over their representation in the Lions but it indubitably would be a serious shock if Warren Gatland were to call a squad on Could perhaps perhaps also merely 6 without Watson and Hogg.
“Omitting either would provoke uproar; overlooking each would lunge away the Lions’ credibility in tatters.”
Warren Gatland has been warned he’ll blow a hole in the credibility of the Lions if Scotland duo Hamish Watson and Stuart Hogg are not carefully taking into consideration about the upcoming tour of South Africa.
That is the ogle of an an increasing model of unimpressed Scottish media, which has hit reduction at what it has dubbed the “odd sport” of “rubbishing the credentials of Scotland’s Lions candidates”.
Watson became as soon as final week accused of being ‘too mild-weight’ in opposition to the prospective test of the Springboks by one journalist, whereas Hogg has now found his credentials called into query by Stuart Barnes.
He launched a shock attack on the Scotland captain in his most up-to-date Times column, the headline of which branded Hogg “an accident waiting to happen in South Africa”.
Hogg is broadly expected to be in the running for what would be his third tour this summer season and, in the eyes of many, further cemented his credentials with an spectacular exhibiting for Exeter Chiefs in opposition to Wasps on the weekend.
On condition that Hogg is also the foremost man to captain Scotland to victories in England and France in the identical season since 1926, he appears to be like to be shoo in for this summer season’s showdown with the sphere champions.
On the assorted hand, writing for the Sunday Times, Barnes argued there’s a flipside to the 28-year broken-down’s recreation, particular person that may perhaps possibly be seized upon and punished by the Springboks.
Commenting on the beefy-reduction’s performance on the weekend, Barnes wrote: “More is wished if he is to atomize the Take a look at group.”
He argued: “The negatives of his recreation can outweigh his enticing array of positives. Within the European Champions Cup quarter-final loss to Leinster, twice he became as soon as caught on his heels in defence and twice the Irish aspect exploited this positional frailty with tries.
“Wasps’ Paolo Odogwu also beat Hogg with ease in a one-on-one by the touchline on Saturday. In opposition to an opposition that boasts the though-provoking Cheslin Kolbe, he’ll enjoy to fabricate better.
“Whereas one in every of his tries belonged to Hogg and Hogg on my own, that greatest scratched out the Josh Bassett Wasps strive for which nobody else can portion the blame. Hogg took an age over a clearing kick and became as soon as charged down. That, and a wild offload 30 metres from his absorb tryline, are the flip aspect of Hogg.”
Interestingly, Barnes has hinted that Wales superstar Liam Williams may perhaps even successfully uncover a smarter option in terms of facing the excessive ball – a capacity weakness he believes South Africa may perhaps even trace to use.
“He will not be one in every of the sphere’s most dominant presences under a excessive ball either. Hugo Keenan and Liam Williams are markedly superior in an aspect of the recreation where the Springboks will hunt for weaknesses.
“Hogg’s devastating counterattack and his long-fluctuate boot (particularly to counter the house group’s kicking recreation at altitude) are his high sources. He is — on his day — one in every of the Lions match-winners.
“But that isn’t ample to ink him into the Take a look at group. There are superior defensive beefy backs on hand to Gatland. He has been extraordinarily shaky in the previous fortnight. There may be also the capacity for the Hogg howler.
“Dropped balls over the motorway, charged-down kicks, moments of recklessness, it is reputedly phase of the atomize-up of basically the most delightful beefy reduction in Britain and Eire. The query have to be: is Hogg more of a risk to South Africa than he is a chance to be taken income of?”
The Scottish media enjoy, perhaps unsurprisingly taken a shadowy ogle of Barnes’ comments and demand that to overlook Hogg and Watson would undermine the integrity of the Lions as an thought.
Writing in The Scotsman, journalist Graham Bean hit reduction: “Final week it became as soon as Hamish Watson – too tiny, it appears to be like. This week it’s Stuart Hogg – defensively flaky, in accordance with Stuart Barnes, the broken-down England cruise-half.
“Neither inform stands as a lot as unheard of scrutiny. Every Scots loved a successful Six Worldwide locations, with Watson a worthy winner of the followers’ pollfor participant of the tournament.
“The strangest ingredient about Barnes’ criticism became as soon as the timing, coming as it did on the reduction of a performance for Exeter Chiefs in opposition to Wasps wherein Hogg scored two tries.
“The 2nd of the ratings became as soon as one in every of those ‘worldies’ that sends Twitter ablaze.
“Scots enjoy long nursed a criticism over their representation in the Lions but it indubitably would be a serious shock if Warren Gatland were to call a squad on Could perhaps perhaps also merely 6 without Watson and Hogg.
“Omitting either would provoke uproar; overlooking each would lunge away the Lions’ credibility in tatters.”
