Hogg looks to cap top week with win

Scotland international Allister Hogg is aiming to cap a fine personal week with a Calcutta Cup win over England on Saturday.

The 23-year-old signed a new two-year deal with Edinburgh Gunners earlier this week.

With Scotland team-mates Chris Paterson, Mike Blair, Hugo Southwell and Alastair Kellock all signing new contracts at Edinburgh, flanker Hogg believes many of the squad can now focus fully on the Six Nations Championship clash with England at Murrayfield.

Hogg said: “Obviously, it is good to commit myself to another two years.

“It is nice that that is now done and dusted and it is the earliest it has been done for a few years now.

“All the boys are happy to have this sorted now and out of the way.

“Everyone is staying because there are such good things happening at Edinburgh, hopefully.

“We all get on really well which makes a real difference.

“It does help that we know each other so well and it puts a lot of peoples’ minds at rest to know you have a job for the next two years.

“Now we are really looking forward to the England game and cannot wait for the match to come.

“We are just tweaking bits and bobs at the moment because the heavy work has been done.”

Hogg admits the Scots must be ready for an early onslaught from Andy Robinson’s team at the weekend.

He said: “England are a big side. They are relatively predictable. You know what they are going to do, but what they do they do very well.

“They are a powerful side with a lot of big guys and will be running hard and really just trying to bully us to start off with.

“So, defensively, we have really got to be solid and knock them back and not let them get the upper hand.”

However, the return of Nathan Hines to the Scotland set-up has acted as a major boost to the Scotland squad.

The Perpignan lock quit the international arena a year ago after becoming disillusioned during the reign of Matt Williams.

But the former Leinster head coach was dismissed by the Scottish Rugby Union a few weeks later.

Now Hines has returned under former Edinburgh head coach, Frank Hadden, and will start on the bench against England.

But, despite the increased competition for places, Hogg and the team have welcomed the Australian-born forward back to the ranks with open arms.

He added: “Nathan is a great player and, while he hasn’t played recently for personal reasons, it is not as if he has just come out of retirement saying he would fancy a crack at it again.

“Nathan has had genuine reasons and all the boys know that. It is good to have him back in the squad.”

Teams for Scotland versus England, Six Nations Championship, Murrayfield, Saturday, 5.30pm.

Scotland: H Southwell (Edinburgh); C Paterson (Edinburgh), M Di Rollo (Edinburgh), A Henderson (Glasgow), S Lamont (Northampton); D Parks (Glasgow), M Blair (Edinburgh); G Kerr (Leeds), D Hall (Edinburgh), B Douglas (Borders), S MacLeod (Borders), A Kellock (Edinburgh), J White (Sale Sharks, capt), A Hogg (Edinburgh), S Taylor (Edinburgh).

Replacements: R Ford (Borders), C Smith (Edinburgh), N Hines (Perpignan), J Petrie (Glasgow), C Cusiter (Borders), G Ross (Leeds), S Webster (Edinburgh).

England: J Lewsey (Wasps); M Cueto (Sale Sharks), J Noon (Newcastle), M Tindall (Gloucester), B Cohen (Northampton); C Hodgson (Sale Sharks), H Ellis (Leicester); A Sheridan (Sale Sharks), S Thompson (Northampton), J White (Leicester), S Borthwick (Bath), D Grewcock (Bath), J Worsley (Wasps), L Moody (Leicester), M Corry (Leicester, capt).

Replacements: G Chuter (Leicester), P Freshwater (Perpignan), S Shaw (Wasps), L Dallaglio (Wasps), M Dawson (Wasps), A Goode (Leicester), T Voyce (Wasps).

Referee: Alan Lewis (Ireland).

Touch judges: Stuart Dickinson (Australia) and Caralo Damasco (Italy).