Former Lions star Gregor Townsend believes Stuart Hogg has now shown he has what it takes to perform at the highest level after the full back shone for Scotland on Saturday.
Hogg was outstanding despite defeat at Twickenham and has since found himself catapulted into numerous Lions XVs picked by pundits across all four Home Nations after the opening round of Six Nations action.
And Townsend, who coaches Hogg at Glasgow Warriors, says his star youngster should now been seen as a man of the moment rather than a player of promise.
"I thought Stuart Hogg was exceptional at Twickenham and he had his best game of the season," said Townsend, who was the Test 10 when the Lions saw off the Springboks in 1997.
"That just underlines what a big-game player he is.
"Some of his running lines were outstanding and his defensive work with the boot was exceptional."
As for the player himself, the 20-year-old admits he was pleased with his own performance but gutted that his side weren’t able to kick on despite taking an early lead in London courtesy of Sean Maitland’s ninth-minute try.
Twickenham waseverything I had dreamed about and more as I chipped in with an assist for a try and scored another.
"I was pleased with my contribution but rugby has never been a one-man sport so the 38-18 loss lingers still," Hogg, who scored Scotland’s second try after setting up the first, wrote in the Daily Record.
"The joy of my greatest experience in rugby was eclipsed by the crushing disappointment of defeat against England.
"Early on I felt we shocked the English but failed to capitalise and that cost us.
"Sadly we were too often second best at the collision areas. And at times we went in a wee bit too high and they gained momentum. We also gave away a couple of cheap penalties.
"Sometimes, though, you just have to acknowledge an opponent’s strength and England showed why they’re favourites. Nevertheless, we’re still in a good place ahead of Italy’s visit to Murrayfield on Saturday."
