YOUNG GUNS
NEWCASTLE & ENGLAND U18 FORWARD
England U18s captain Patrick Hogg is using his time at Newcastle Falcons to pick the brains of club skipper, No.8 Callum Chick. Hogg led England U18s for the first time against Scotland this year in the Six Nations and went on tour to South Africa last month for a three-match series against Ireland, Georgia and Junior Springboks.
The second row/flanker is hoping to transition smoothly through the pathway and has taken inspiration from England U20s‘ double-winning Six Nations and World Championship swoop.
Hogg told The Rugby Paper: “Captaining England was a really proud moment for me because it is something I’ve been building towards. I didn’t expect it when I went out there but I’ve been trying to take it in my stride.
“The Six Nations Festival helped me massively in finding my feet on the international stage. It allowed me to determine where my strengths lie and what I need to build on. In terms of the characters around camp, there were a lot of leaders there so I could pick up on how they led and incorporate that into my style.
“The U20s are a huge inspiration. The way they won the World Cup and went about it by winning every game was huge. We want to play how they play, so it’s something to aim towards. You’ve got to build through the pathway; the U18s explore, and adapt to build towards the U20s.”
Hogg was introduced to tag rugby age 10 in primary school before he joined his local club Blaydon.
Having started as an outside centre, he slowly transitioned into the forwards, now seeing himself as a second row or blindside, ‘staying away from openside for now’.
Hogg, a hard-hitting defender, grew up idolising England centurion Courtney Lawes and seems to be thriving in the Newcastle setup.
He said: “Courtney Lawes is a big one for me with his massive hits and all the unseen work he does which doesn’t get brought to life as much in the media. That’s another reason why he’s such a legend of the game.
“My time at Newcastle has been enjoyable so far. When I was U16s I got the chance to train with the U18s and there were so many people I could learn from. I remember training with Ben Redshaw for the first time and watching him zip past everyone. That’s the standard to play at if you want to be in the England age-grade setup. The coaching support you get to help you build is very personalised.
“Even though he’s not my position, Callum Chick is a big one in terms of how he leads and the way he goes about his game. I’d like to base my game around that.”
Having just started in the England age-grade setup, Hogg is far from the finished article and hopes to this season help turn around Newcastle Academy’s dismal form.
“I’d like to say my strong point is my defence,” said Hogg. “I can hit people pretty hard and my lineout attributes being a back row who can jump is also a big part of my game.
“I’d like to improve on my ball carrying. In terms of how I can get my leg drives going to get good post contact metres and then develop that so I can be effective on both sides of the ball. Over the next 12 months, if I’m lucky enough it would be great to be selected for a couple of the England U19 games. I’d like to have a successful academy league with Falcons. The only way is up considering we came bottom last season, so we can’t do much worse.”
