Rugby-Hogg readies for hostile Wales as Scotland seek rare win in Cardiff

(Reuters) - Scotland captain Stuart Hogg hopes the "huge belief" from his squad will carry them through to back-to-back wins in the Six Nations Championship when they meet Wales at the Principality Stadium in Cardiff on Saturday.

The teams had contrasting results last weekend as Scotland edged old foes England 20-17 at Murrayfield, while Wales were soundly beaten 29-7 by Ireland in Dublin.

The Scots also won away in Paris in their final Six Nations game of 2021 and while that was a year ago, the memory of the hard-fought win is still fresh, according to Hogg.

"For us as a squad, we’ve gained a lot of experience," Hogg told reporters on Friday. "We’ve been in places where we’ve been challenged and been on the wrong end of the scoreline. But we’re better for it.

"For us now, there’s a huge amount of belief in this squad. We’re not getting carried away but we believe we can get these victories. It’s going to be challenging but we’re excited by it."

Hogg believes coach Gregor Townsend has been the catalyst for the building the best Scotland side he has played in.

"Since Gregor’s come in, we’re making good progress. The boys are growing and moving forward. This Scotland squad is the best I’ve been involved in on and off the field," Hogg added.

Scotland claimed a 14-10 Six Nations victory at the Parc y Scarlets in Llanelli in 2020 but have not won in Cardiff since 2002.

"We’re coming to one of the most hostile venues in world rugby. It’s one hell of an atmosphere," Hogg said. "They (Wales) are a quality side. They’ll be hurting but they’re at home. Their record there speaks volumes. They’ve got an incredible squad.

"The biggest thing for us is concentrating on being ourselves. We know the way we want to play. There’ll be