Hogg keen to put Best foot forward
As if making his first Test start, against France at Murrayfield on Sunday, wasn't enough for Scotland's Stuart Hogg to deal with, this week he also discovered he's related to George Best.
The 19-year-old explained his link to the late Northern Irish football great by telling the BBC: "To cut a long story short, it turns out that my granny's granny was a Best.
"It's pretty amazing and I hope I can follow his example in the good ways," added Hogg. "He was renowned for his skill on the pitch.
"I'm not the kind of person that does daft stuff off it," Hogg said in a reference to Best's alcoholism.
Manchester United legend Best's brief spell with Edinburgh club Hibernian was notable mainly for his being found in a hotel bar hours before a match after an all-night drinking session with then France rugby captain Jean-Pierre Rives, whose side had lost to Scotland at Murrayfield the day before.
Hogg though has been making fans pay attention solely through the quality of his play.
He came desperately close to a try against Wales after coming off the bench during Scotland's 27-13 loss in Cardiff last time out and coach Andy Robinson is no doubt about his quality.
"His composure has been great, the way that he's been able to handle the whole Test arena and his ambition to play as well," Robinson said.
"He's got freedom to play," the ex-England flank and coach added. "He's an individual. His character is great. The more the pressure, the more he wants to put himself up there."
Hogg will be the first teenager to start a Test for Scotland in 40 years, since Jim Renwick, one of Scotland's greatest centres, ran out to face France as a 19-year-old at Murrayfield in 1972.
Scotland won that match 20-9, with Renwick scoring one of their three tries.
And for Scots fans seeking an additional lucky omen, as the current side bids to end a run of four straight defeats, Renwick is Hogg's mentor - with both men products of the Hawick club in the Scottish Borders.
And Renwick has been encouraged by what he has seen of his protege thus far, telling the Independent: "A lot of people have been saying it's been a breath of fresh air, seeing someone taking on a man and beating him on the outside."
AFP