After appearing for the British & Irish Lions during the summer in Australia; Scotland full-back Stuart Hogg insists he’s returned a better player for the experience.
Hogg has endured an injury-plagued season to-date – he suffered a wrist injury in September – but as he prepares to go head-to-head with England full-back Mike Brown this weekend at Murrayfield, the Scottish international insists he’s finally returning to his best form on the pitch.
Due to his age and relative inexperience at international level, Hogg’s selection was questioned ahead of the tour to Australia.
But the Scotland flyer answered every question and more with his stunning performances Down Under – particularly for the midweek team.
And those match-winning breaks show no sign of slowing down just yet after a strong showing for Scotland against Ireland last weekend.
“It was a bit annoying hearing people question whether I would cope because of being a Lion,” Hogg told The Scotsman. “I’ve just got to keep working hard.
“The summer was an unbelievable experience and it’s something I will always look back on. I’ve been asked has it made me a better player and I’ve replied by saying yes, I think it has.
“I think my understanding of the game has improved, I feel a lot more experienced – I feel I could make a call here or there. Hopefully it has made me an all-round better player.
“I just got a bit annoyed with people asking whether I could cope with the added pressure of being a Lion. People said ‘He’s got to perform’, but I know that myself. It’s in the past. I’m looking forward to the challenge with Scotland now.”
