Six Nations: Stuart Hogg relives his Wales chapters in Scotland career and reveals a bucket-list moment for retirement

Wales has been a biennial pilgrimage for Scottish rugby supporters for as long as anyone can remember and Stuart Hogg intends to experience the trip as a fan when he hangs up his boots.

That’s a while away yet and, in the meantime, the national captain has more pressing business to take care of in Cardiff.

Hogg, 29, will today lead a Scotland side looking to win their opening two games in the Five or Six Nations for the first time since 1996.

It’s a poor record but one the bookmakers think will come to an end in the Principality Stadium. Unusually, Scotland are odds on to win in Cardiff, something they have not done since 2002.

It’s a sign, perhaps, of a growing belief in this group of players, something which is mirrored within the camp.

Hogg yesterday reiterated his view that this was the best Scotland squad he has been involved with as he reflected on his record in the fixture.

Trips to Wales have produced some landmark moments in the career of the full-back who will win his 90th Scotland cap this afternoon. He made his Test debut in Cardiff in 2012, was sent off at the Millennium Stadium two years later and led Scotland to a rare win on Welsh soil in 2020 when he finished the game in Llanelli at stand-off after both Finn Russell and Adam Hastings were invalided out.

Hogg has a lot of personal history wrapped up in the game and cites the red card as fundamental to his development. The full-back was sent off for smashing into Wales fly-half Dan Biggar, earning a three-week ban for the offence.

“In 2014 it was just a bit of a brain fart, a huge amount of built-up emotion and executing in the wrong way that led to a red card,” he said.

“I’ve grown up a lot since then. That was a long, long time ago. It was probably the