Stuart Hogg is already a two-time Player of the Championship – but this performance and this victory might just be the greatest Guinness Six Nations moment of his career.
Scotland finally ended their Twickenham drought, winning at England HQ for the first time in 38 years with a display built on guile, heart and belief. And Hogg epitomised it all.
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There was no highlights-reel try or lung-bursting breaks upfield but Hogg still played brilliantly from full-back, his kicking a big reason why Scotland dominated both possession and territory at Twickenham.
And, when the points didn’t come and England stayed within reach, he cajoled and encouraged his teammates to see it through in a Player of the Match performance.
Hogg finished with 69 metres with the ball – including a slaloming run that had defenders grasping at thin air – but it was his kicking that caught the eye.
After a slow start, England wrestled back the momentum at half-time with two Owen Farrell penalties cutting the deficit to two points.
But Hogg helped to pin the hosts inside their own half for much of the second period, a key reason for their success.
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Two kicks stood out, one that went from inside his own to England’s five-metre line and another when, under pressure inside his own 22, he hacked upfield and deep into England territory.
With the ball, Hogg was unfortunate not to set up Duhan van der Merwe for a first-half try with a cross-field kick that just went over his head.
But this wasn’t a day for silky rugby, instead an afternoon requiring a leader to stand tall. Hogg did that and Scotland won.
