Baxter relishing return of Hogg

By Mark Stevens
3/10/21

Rob Baxter has given Stuart Hogg a glowing endorsement ahead of his return to the Exeter Chiefs starting line-up today.

The Scottish captain has been thrust back into the limelight at the first available opportunity by the Chiefs Director of Rugby for today’s Gallagher Premiership Round Three clash at Sale Sharks.

Hogg’s last outing for the Devonians was coming off the bench to score in last season’s Premiership Final in June, after which he then jetted off to feature for the British & Irish Lions during their summer tour of South Africa.

The 29-year-old started the first two Test matches against the Springboks, but did not make the match-day squad for the final encounter in Cape Town.

Refreshed and revived, Hogg is seemingly ready to go again and having returned to club training in recent weeks, Baxter is looking forward to what his talismanic full-back can bring to the field this afternoon.

"He looks very motivated, he's looked really, really sharp in training this week," Baxter said. "The biggest thing we've got to stop doing as a club is looking back, because whatever has been behind us is exactly that, it's behind us.

"I think it's going to be exactly the same challenge for the Lions guys, whether it went well or badly; it's the same for us looking back as a club on a ridiculous 12-month period where we went from winning the double to getting straight into another final - we've got to stop looking back and look forward.

"That's very much my attitude with Stuart. We had our discussions post-Lions, they were a while ago, we don't need to have them again.

"All that Stuart needs to know from me is we're keen to get him on the rugby field, we've got a lot of faith in his ability to get over whatever little blips or whatever anybody thought about the end of last season and get on and show what a good player he is."