Hawick’s Stuart Hogg says being dropped from Scotland rugby squad for summer test series will be for best

Exeter Chiefs full-back Stuart Hogg during their English Gallagher Premiership match against Saracens in April (Photo by Alex Davidson/Getty Images)

Ex-Gala stalwart Townsend opted to rest regular captain Hogg, 30, as well as Finn Russell and Chris Harris, because they had spent the past two seasons playing rugby almost non-stop, he said.

All three were on the British and Irish Lions’ tour of South Africa last summer and Townsend, 49, believes they’ll benefit from having this summer off ahead of next year’s Rugby World Cup.

Hogg says he didn’t have much of a say about that decision but respects it none the less.

“I’d love to say it was a bit of a discussion, but I had a phone call with Gregor a few weeks ago and he was telling me the plans he had in store for me,” 92-times-capped Hogg told Sky Sports while working on the network’s coverage of Scotland’s 26-18 first test defeat in Argentina last weekend.

“He thought it was best that I stay at home and rest up ahead of world cup year, and I had to agree with him, to be honest.

“I don’t think, at this present moment in time, that I’m fit enough to play, and I respect his decision, as much as it hurts.

“The three of us have played a hell of a lot of rugby this season, coming off the back of a Lions tour and then autumn internationals, the Six Nations and all the club games in between.

“We’ve all spoken to each other and we’re all in agreement.

“It’s frustrating that we’re not there, but we have to respect Gregor and his decision.

“I think for me, after the chat with Gregor about being rested for the tour, I was really quite down and disappointed about it, but I could then see the reasons behind it.

“Today when I came into studio and you see that international rugby is back on the telly and I’m not involved, it’s quite a strange experience, but it’s for the greater good.”

Fellow ex-Hawick players Darcy Graham and Rory Sutherland are on tour, with the former starting last Saturday’s game and the latter coming off the bench an hour in to replace Pierre Schoeman.

Ex-Southern Knight Rory Darge also featured, coming on as a 52nd-minute replacement for Luke Crosbie.

Both Graham, 25, and Darge, 22, will start tomorrow’s second test but Sutherland, 29, won’t be involved.