Hogg races in for Scotland’s second try at Murrayfield last season GARY HUTCHISON/SNSThe tunnel deep in Cardiff’s Principality Stadium was a bleak place to perform a post-mortem examination. Half an hour after Scotland had been torn apart by Wales in the NatWest Six Nations opening game, John Barclay struggled to find the words to explain their humiliation. “It’s hard to speak after a defeat like that,” the Scotland captain said, the 34-7 scoreline a stark contrast to the optimism that had accompanied them across Hadrian’s Wall. They had enjoyed a fine summer last year under Gregor Townsend, their new head coach, and hammered Australia on home soil in the autumn, a week after they had come within a score of beating New Zealand for the first time. With Glasgow Warriors and Edinburgh also improving in the Guinness…

Source: The Times March 05, 2018 00:05 UTC