'He will relinquish it': Chalmers says Hogg is finished as captain

Craig Chalmers believes Stuart Hogg has captained Scotland for the last time after the national team’s Guinness Six Nations campaign ended under a cloud.

It emerged on the eve of last Saturday’s 26-5 defeat in Ireland that Hogg was one of six players who had broken team protocol to attend a bar upon returning to Edinburgh following their victory over Italy in Rome the previous weekend.

Hogg apologised in his post-match media conference in Dublin but was clearly agitated at being persistently questioned about the situation. Head coach Gregor Townsend refused to guarantee that the 29-year-old Exeter full-back will remain as captain for next season and former Scotland fly-half Chalmers is convinced change is imminent.

“He is going to find it very hard to hold on to the captaincy,” said Chalmers, speaking to The Nine programme on BBC Scotland.

“I don’t think he should have been given it in the first place. Full-back is not a great place to captain from because you have got to be in amongst it, round about the referee, asking questions, finding stuff out. I think he will relinquish it.”

Chalmers added that Edinburgh flankers Jamie Ritchie, who is currently out injured, and Hamish Watson would be the two players best equipped to replace Hogg. “We have just got to see who takes over,” he said. 

“What leaders are there? Are there enough leaders in that team? Hamish Watson maybe. Jamie Ritchie, for me, is the guy that is going to be there long term but will he be fit for the tour to Argentina in the summer? I’m not too sure. But, yes, there will be a change.”