‘Magician’ Finn Russell can torment England in their Six Nations clash against Scotland, but why do those who know him think the laid-back fly-half has ‘mastered’ the oval-ball game?
England head to Murrayfield next Saturday having beaten Scotland just once in their last six close encounters.
This shift in the balance of power between the two countries coincided with the rise of Finn Russell as one of the world’s greatest playmakers; a genius in the number 10 shirt who can run matches with remarkable acts of wizardry.
The Bath fly-half is now 31, co-captain of his country and at the height of his powers, so Steve Borthwick and his Red Rose team are fully aware of the threat he will pose in Edinburgh, in the third round of the Six Nations.
Here, some of those who know him give insight into what makes Russell such an oval ball maestro…
Finn Russell will pose a huge threat for England next Saturday when Steve Borthwick’s side travel to take on Scotland at Murrayfield
Russell’s emergence interestingly coincided with the statistic that England have beaten Scotland just once in their last six meetings
The fly-half, who joined Bath from Racing 92 in the summer, is known as one of the most exciting No 10s in the world
Dan Biggar
Mail Sports columnist and Lions teammate
‘With Finn, our personalities seem very different on paper. But after touring with him in 2021 with the British & Irish Lions, I don’t think he gets enough credit for the preparation he does.
‘When we were together in South Africa, he always looked at the laptop before the matches.
‘I was surprised by the attention to detail he put into that tour. You’d probably expect that from guys like Owen Farrell and Johnny Sexton.
‘Maybe some people wouldn’t see Finn as that kind of player, but I can assure you he is.
Mail Sport columnist Dan Biggar said Russell doesn’t get the credit he deserves for the preparation he does
Biggar (left) and Russell toured together on the 2021 British and Irish Lions Tour to South Africa
“Fans watching the Six Nations will see his brilliant passing and attacking play and the little films. He is also very relaxed on the field. He’s always had that in the safe.
‘He’s obviously always been an extremely talented player.
“But talent can only take you so far and it’s clear how much he has improved and improved his game over the last two years.
“I really liked an interview I saw him give recently where he said this Scotland team is under some pressure to win something.
“I thought it was refreshingly honest of him to say that they have probably underperformed a little and that he knows time is running out for a good group of Scottish players.
“It was another sign of his growing leadership, which was reflected in Scotland’s appointment as co-captain.”
One word that sums him up?
‘Exciting. There is no doubt he is an exciting player.
‘Players like Finn and Marcus Smith are the ones the supporters want to watch.’
Greig Laidlaw
Former Scotland captain and halfback partner
‘Finn is super relaxed before the match and doesn’t get nervous while playing. When he makes a mistake, he shrugs.
“He’s not cocky, but he’s so confident and that’s probably why he’s the player he is, because he only backs himself. That self-confidence rubs off on the people around him. Certainly, he gave me that confidence by playing alongside him in a Scotland jersey.
“Another great thing about him is that he always wants the ball, even if he just made a mistake.
Former Scotland halfback partner Greg Laidlaw (left) claimed Russell was ‘not cocky’ but had ‘so much confidence’ that it rubbed off on the rest of the squad
Laidlaw claimed he ‘is a special player’ and tells a funny anecdote of Finn riding a racing bike around the team room
‘He has a constant drive to put teams under pressure and keep playing his game, regardless of the score.
‘If it is really “on”; When they see things, pick passes and take breaks, other teams get scared. He has it all: the kick pass, the ability to play around teams and the ability to make contact and release. That’s what the defense is afraid of.
‘He’s a nice character. One time we were in Australia, we had had a long trip and had to go to the team room for a meeting.
“All the players arrived, and the next minute Finn showed up on his racing bike and started cycling around the team room wearing this random helmet.
“There are so many stupid, funny stories when you think back. He’s one of the lads, he likes to enjoy himself and he knows when to stop playing rugby.’
One word that sums him up?
‘Special. He is a special player. We don’t produce many special players in Scotland, but he is a special one. There you go; he’s the Special One!’
Rory Teague
Coached Russell at Racing 92 last season
‘Nothing is too much stress for him, but he’s not so relaxed that you think he doesn’t care. I love watching him play. He always tries to push the boundaries and expand the players around him – by taking them along with him. He believes in himself and his natural hand-eye ability and game sense are phenomenal.
‘He’s an instinctive game player. I remember being with him in Spain last year and watching him pick up a padel racket and play padel without stress, just using his hand-eye skills and putting the ball in the right places where the opponent wasn’t.
Former Gloucester coach Rory Teague worked with Russell during his time at Racing 92.
Teague claimed Russell ‘is the best 10 in the world’ and ‘has mastered the game of rugby’
Teague also praised Russell as a “magician” and added that the 31-year-old is paving the way for future fly halves
‘He has mastered the game of rugby. I believe he is the best 10 in the world and that he has a real drive to be the best – without showing it outwardly. Finn definitely doesn’t have a manual, but I think he’s making his own manual for the future, for fly-halves. He is the best because he does it his own way. I don’t think he cares about what others do. He focuses on what he can do.
‘He’s his own man. When I arrived at Racing last season, the staff were annoyed that he was training with his laces undone. We laughed about it and I said to him, “Come on, Finn, check the box, tie your laces,” so he lifted his laces and double-tied them. Some of the younger boys had started imitating him by training with the laces untied, and when Finn laced his boots they would tie their boots too.’
One word that sums him up?
‘Magician.’
Lee Blackett
Coaches Russell at Bath
‘He is unique in many ways. He has some incredible qualities, such as his passing speed, the speed with which he can put the ball on his foot to kick, and the variety of his kicking game. As a coach, you can design any play you want – and be as creative as you want – because he has the ability to execute it.
“In terms of how he fits into the team, his biggest strength is his composure. He ensures that everyone does not panic when mistakes are made. On his first start for the club, at Saracens, from our first lineout, Finn was brought down and they scored. He was unplayable for the next twenty minutes. We scored three great tries and Finn just kept attacking the line. It showed that if you make a mistake, you have to move on and make your next job really good. That’s what he did. He was excellent.
Bath Coach, Lee Blackett (right) claimed Russell has a number of ‘incredible qualities’ that make him a ‘unique’ player
He also said Russell silenced the Shed end at Kingsholm, calling him ‘brutal’.
“Opposition teams are trying to put pressure on him, but the more they do that and jump out of the defensive line as individuals, the more he can take from them. It will be a big test for England’s new defensive system when they play him. This is a guy who can beat you with his passing game or his short kicking game if you get too tight or too narrow.”
One word that sums him up?
‘Cheeky! When we played in Kingsholm he ran in front of the Shed with his finger to his lips. The Gloucester fans loved him because he did it with a cheeky smile on his face. Imagine if Owen Farrell had done that – he wouldn’t have been able to leave Gloucester! But Finn Russell did it and everyone asked for his autograph after the game.”