NOBODY knows better than new captain Stuart Hogg that the USA are no walkover. He was there four years ago when Scotland found it so tough to beat the Americans and can see that they have improved in the time since then.
In the end, Scotland ran out 24-6 winners but it took a solo try from Hogg to pull them clear as the USA kept the pressure on.
“I caught the high ball and it just opened up in front of me,” he recalls of the last match at the BBVA Compass Stadium in Houston.
“It’s a cracking stadium, cracking facilities, great pitch. Narrower than we are used to but similar to last week and we have a good game plan in place to hurt the Americans.
“We have adapted well to the weather conditions. We came in on Monday and said it would be the first and last time we mentioned the weather. It is the same for both teams. Some of their players won’t be used to this heat either.” That said, since that game and the clash the following year in the World Cup when Scotland had to rely on a second-half fightback to come from behind, the USA have professionalised their domestic league and results have been flowing.
They won the top seeding in the Americas qualification for the next World Cp and have not lost this year, though, admittedly, Scotland are the first top-10 nation that they have played.
“Look at their last six results,” Hogg observed. “They have some incredible individual players and are playing well as a team. We have to be on the money in defence because they have some very good ball carriers and an elusive back three.
“We need to take our opportunities in attack. We don’t want to be playing too many phases and use up a lot of energy. A big emphasis is picking our heads up, seeing what is in front, and spot the spaces. If we can get these big Americans moving around we believe we are a lot fitter than them.”
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