Wales v Scotland: Stuart Hogg aims to keep success going

Life is pretty good for Stuart Hogg at the moment.

Fresh from coming off the back of winning the European and English Premiership double with Exeter, the Scotland captain is now preparing to lead his nation in the Six Nations finale against Wales in Llanelli on Saturday.

So after completing the most successful club season of his career, Hogg will aim to transfer those experiences onto the international scene.

Scotland found themselves on a high in March after spoiling France's Grand Slam dream at Murrayfield with an excellent victory and were due to end their campaign in Cardiff on 14 March.

This was before the game was postponed because of coronavirus and was later rearranged for Parc y Scarlets at the end of October on the final weekend of the delayed tournament.

Hogg missed last weekend's emphatic 48-7 win over Georgia because he was helping Exeter defeat Wasps in the Premiership final. Now he is back on the international stage.

"The boys have been in the last couple of weeks working incredibly hard and we've got a very good squad to pick from," Hogg told Scrum V.

"Hopefully we will get back up and running against Wales, it will be a huge challenge but it's one we're excited for.

"We felt like we were in a very good place and it is about getting back there.

"This group is young, refreshing, exciting, but we understand how big a challenge it is going to be against Wales.

"But these are the games you want to be involved in, these are the games you picked up a rugby ball as a kid for."

Wales captain Alun Wyn Jones and Scotland skipper Stuart Hogg at the 2020 Six Nations launch

Hogg, 28, has had mixed fortunes in Wales after making his debut at the Principality Stadium in March 2012, then being sent off two years later at the same venue for a dangerous tackle on Dan Biggar.

"I love playing in atmospheres that are electric and you'll struggle to find a better one than at the Principality," said Hogg.

"I made my Scotland debut in Wales so it will always hold a special place for me.

"Things did not go to plan a couple of years later but it was probably a turning point in my career. It made the boy turn into a man and I love going back down to Wales.

"The Welsh public, sometimes I'm hated, other times I'm loved. Going to Celtic Manor and singing Calon Lan a couple of years ago got me back in the good books, but they always get right behind their team."

This time the match will be played played behind closed doors at Llanelli's Parc y Scarlets, with Scotland aiming for a first away win in Wales since 2002.

"We won't have fans at the game, but I really enjoy playing at the Scarlets ground, it's been a happy hunting ground for myself, so hopefully we can go down there and achieve something special," said Hogg.

"It'll be different, an international with no fans will be completely different, but we are going down there to win a game of rugby, we believe in our ability to go and do it.

"We could be playing in front of 80,000 or no fans, it's still a special occasion for us, and it would mean the world to the boys to finish the Six Nations with a win and we will do everything we can to make sure that happens."

Ireland can secure the title with a bonus-point win in Paris next weekend

Only England, France and Ireland can win the tournament, with Wales and Scotland battling it out for fourth place.

"There is a chance to win in a Scotland jersey and for me there is no better feeling," said Hogg.

"We know it's going to be a huge challenge but we are ready for it. Every time we get to represent Scotland we are there to inspire a nation.

"It's all about us going forward now believing in each other and as a collective we can knock over the best teams in the world.

"What better opportunity than taking on Wales."

Watch the full Stuart Hogg interview on Scrum V.