Hogg encouraged by Lions' attitude

The British & Irish Lions brushed aside the Sigma Lions in the former’s first game on tour, 56-14, but captain Stuart Hogg was steady in victory, well aware of room for improvement and that tougher hurdles lie ahead. 

“At times we went to dark places. We made ourselves uncomfortable in the way that we were defending, the way that we were trying to attack,” Hogg said. 

“We wanted to win the no-talent battles, things that require no talent, and that’s getting up off the deck and getting yourself back in the game and making it as difficult as we possibly can for the opposition. 

“At times we got that spot on, but for me the exciting thing is we can get better. We can get better individually and we can get better collectively. 

“We want to be a formidable defensive unit because that will win you Test matches. We work incredibly hard and we want to be tough to beat. 

“We want to be in positions to make dominant collisions, to get some turnovers and play on the back of it, so we want to work incredibly hard for each other. 

“That will then give us an opportunity to then play with ball in hand, which for the likes of myself and the rest of the back three, that’s when we come alive. 

“It’s far from the finished article. We’ll continue to work, continue to learn and continue to get better. We’re excited about the next few weeks.” 

The Lions next face the Sharks at Ellis Park on Wednesday evening and will be prepared for a step up in opposition. Although somewhat depleted with some top players on duty with the Springboks, the Sharks are a vibrant, exciting group who are capable of showcasing some top rugby.