Head-to-head: Hogg vs Folau
Both Folau and Hogg will be looking to ignite their backlines when they face-off in their World Cup quarterfinal at Twickenham in London on Sunday.
Folau in particular will be a huge threat for the Scots. He has scored 18 tries in his 36 Tests so far and provides Australia with a dynamic option on attack.
His height also gives him and advantage with high balls, while his big frame allows him to make metres whenever he runs the ball. He has played one game less than Hogg in this year's World Cup, yet he has beaten more defenders.
Hogg on the other hand, is a much more conservative fullback but can also turn on the gas when he needs to. He was probably the best backline player alongside Ireland's Robbie Henshaw in this year's Six Nations.
He can be found wanting under the high ball with his height, but that is where Scotland's tall wings come into play.
Both fullbacks have been well-marked during this year's World Cup, however it is Folau who still has the better attacking statistics overall in the tournament.
Despite new tactics and different plays in the modern-day game, Legendary Springbok fullback HO de Villiers believes doing the basics well is what makes a great fullback.
"The basics of the fullback play is that you must be able to catch the ball and kick it out when you have to. They are like the old South African railway – safe and reliable," said De Villiers.
"The fullback also needs to have the confidence of the other players, but I imagine that this has been the norm ever since rugby started. I actually think the fullback is the most attacking weapon in the side because he is not marked man on man and he can drift around."
De Villiers believes Folau is one of the best in the business in his position and has been watching the former rugby league player since he switched codes.
"I watched Folau with a great deal of interest since he arrived on the scene. He is particularly dangerous with his great strength, size and speed," said De Villiers.
"To compare him size wise to the New Zealand fullback [Ben Smith], the size of the two players are totally different, yet they are both extremely effective.
"Ben Smith is an exceptionally dangerous and clever player – he is probably cleverer than Folau, whereas Folau has got the strength and the size as an additional factor. Smith, because he is smaller and very astute he is not easy to get at."
Hogg is three years younger than Folau and he also made his international debut a full year before Folau did, yet De Villiers feels the young Scot still has a way to go to reach Folau's level.
"A haven't seen a lot of him. If you asked me where I would rank him I would possibly say that he is safer and brave, but I don't think he has the same impact on a game as Folau, Smith or Willie le Roux," he added.
So how do they shape up?
Here are some key statistics!
Israel Folau
Played 80 minutes in the 28-13 win over Fiji
Did not play in the 65-3 win over Uruguay
Played 65 minutes in the 33-13 win over England
Played 80 minutes in the 15-6 win over Wales
Full name: Israel Folau
Date of birth: 03 April 1989 (age 26)
Place of birth: Sydney, Australia
Height: 1.93m
Weight: 103kg
Stuart Hogg
Played 65 minutes in the 45-10 win over Japan
Played 80 minutes in the 39-16 win over the United States
Played 63 minutes in the 16-34 loss to South Africa
Played 70 minutes in the 36-33 win over Samoa
Full name: Stuart Hogg
Date of birth: 24 June 1992 (age 23)
Place of birth: Melrose, Scotland
Height: 1.80m
Weight: 93kg
By Warren Fortune
@FortuneWarren
@rugby365com
