Scottish star Ally Hogg insists he is determined to succeed south of the border, having signed up for Aviva Premiership Rugby with Newcastle Falcons.
The back row man brings his 48 caps worth of international experience to Tyneside, with the 27-year-old’s renowned running game set to sparkle at Kingston Park.
"I’ve always wanted to have a crack at Aviva Premiership Rugby, and an important thing for me was the fact that the Falcons have come out and committed themselves to more of a running game this season," said Hogg, who joins the club after eight seasons at home club Edinburgh.
"That’s the way that I’ve always believed the game should be played, and I think that sort of ethos will get the best out of me as a player. It’s fair to say I’m not the sort of back rower who is going to run over the top of players all the time, so the fact that we will be looking to play a lot of rugby and giving the ball plenty of width is something that really excites me.
"Speaking to some of the other players like Jimmy Gopperth and Jeremy Manning they are all of the same opinion that we want to give it a real go with the ball in hand, and everyone here seems really upbeat about the change in emphasis."
Changing scenery after eight years in the Scottish capital where he scored 21 tries in 127 Magners League and Heineken Cup appearances, Hogg said: "Everyone’s been really helpful and friendly so far, they seem like a great bunch of boys and they’ve made me feel welcome during my short time at the club.
"It’s just like when anyone starts a new job, the usual things like learning people’s names and how things work. I don’t think I’ve offended anyone yet hopefully by getting their name wrong, but the club have made it very easy to fit in and there seems to be a bit of a buzz about the place going into the new season.
"Like any other player, I know I’ve got to earn the respect of the guys around me by the way I play and how I conduct myself. That’s not going to happen straightaway, so it’s just a case of getting my head down, working hard and hopefully making a good contribution when I get my chance to play in the first team.
"The main thing is that after so long out of the game last season I’m excited about my rugby again, I feel like I have to prove myself in this new environment and I’m absolutely determined to give it everything here for the Falcons."
Linking up again with new head coach Alan Tait, Hogg said: "He was a massive factor in my decision.
"I’ve obviously worked with Taity a lot before with the Scotland squad, I know what he’s about and also I wanted a new challenge. I’d been at Edinburgh for eight years and really enjoyed that time up there, but I felt this was the right time for a change, to experience something new and take on a fresh start."
Revealing how the move came about, he added: "Taity just gave me a call to ask if I’d be interested in coming down for a chat.
"From there I spent the day having a look round the facilities and chatting to the coaches, who really impressed me with the plans they have for the club. I was impressed with everything, to be honest, and having been training for the past fortnight here it’s living up to the expectations so far."
Starting his pre-season later than many of the squad due to his international exploits, Hogg explained: "I missed a fair part of last year with a hip injury, but I made it back for the end of the campaign before playing for Scotland in the IRB Sevens and then captaining Scotland A in the IRB Nations Cup out in Romania.
"With being away during the summer that has meant I’ve joined pre-season training a month or so after some of the other boys here, it’s been hard work for sure but I’m feeling fit and very much looking forward to the start of the season."
Comparing the English top flight with its Celtic equivalent, Hogg said: "It’s hard to comment from an informed position really because I’ve never been involved with Aviva Premiership Rugby myself, but the perception seems to be that it gets quite a bit more coverage than the Magners League.
"It will be interesting to see what the difference is in terms of competitiveness, but from the outside I think the perception is probably that the Premiership is a bit more attritional and direct, where as the Celtic sides tend to play a bit more rugby.
"I don’t know whether that’s true or not, but what I do know is that Newcastle have brought me down here to try and break free from that image.
"In my conversations with Taity he stressed time and time again that he wanted me to be part of this change towards a more expansive game, rather than bashing it up the middle and playing for territory. Hopefully I can fulfil that brief, and from a personal point of view it’s just exciting to have this new challenge in the Premiership with the Falcons."
Asked if the move south meant he was calling time on his international ambitions, he insisted: "No, I’ve certainly not turned my back on Scotland – not at all.
"Obviously having Taity here as a former Scotland coach has been a factor, because right from the off when we started talking over the summer he has stressed to me that he’s more than happy for me to keep pursuing my international career.
"First and foremost is my club form here at Newcastle, but if that’s going well then you never know."
