Scotland senior players failed Gregor Townsend and failed the fans, says Scott Hastings

Scotland captain Stuart Hogg has apologised. (AP Photo/Peter Morrison)

The build-up to the side’s final match of the championship against Ireland was overshadowed by a report that captain Stuart Hogg, Finn Russell, Ali Price, Sam Johnson, Darcy Graham and Sione Tuipulotu had been disciplined for leaving the team hotel to head to a bar in Edinburgh following their return from Rome the previous weekend.

Scotland lost 26-5 to Ireland in Dublin on Saturday and, speaking after the match, Hogg said he had apologised for his actions.

Hastings, who was capped 65 times by Scotland and was part of the celebrated 1990 Grand Slam side, was disappointed in the behaviour of the experienced group.

“I’ve seen Stuart Hogg apologise for his actions but unfortunately I think the senior leadership failed themselves,” Hastings told STV. “Not only that, they failed their coach and they failed their fans.”

Edinburgh coach Mike Blair said he would speak to Graham, a winger with the capital club, about the matter.

“Darcy and I have got a really good relationship and it will come up in conversation at some stage just to see what his thoughts around it are,” said Blair.

Three of the players - Price, Johnson and Tuipulotu - are with Glasgow Warriors but their assistant coach, Nigel Carolan, said it was a matter for the national side.

“I don’t know what happened with Scotland, but here we don’t feel we need to speak to them,” said Carolan.

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