England go to Murrayfield next Saturday having only beaten Scotland once in their last six close encounters.
This shift in the balance of power between the two countries has coincided with Finn Russell’s emergence as one of the world’s great playmakers; a genius in the No 10 shirt who can turn matches with remarkable acts of sorcery.
The Bath fly-half is now 31, co-captain of his country and at the peak of his powers, so Steve Borthwick and his Red Rose squad are fully aware of the threat he will pose in Edinburgh, in round three of the Six Nations.
Here, some of those who know him give an insight into what makes Russell such an oval-ball maestro…
Finn Russell will present a huge threat for England next Saturday, as Steve Borthwick’s side travel to take on Scotland at Murrayfield
Russell’s emergence has interestingly coincided with the statistic that England have only beaten Scotland once in their last six encounters
The fly-half, who joined Bath in the summer from Racing 92, is renowned as being one of the most exciting No 10s in the world
Dan Biggar
Mail Sport columnist and Lions team-mate
‘With Finn, on paper, our personalities appear to be very different. But having toured with him with the British & Irish Lions in 2021, I don’t think he gets enough credit for the preparation he does.
‘When we were in South Africa together, he was always looking at the laptop ahead of 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 sort of player, but I can assure you he is.
Mail Sport’s columnist Dan Biggar said that 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 who watch the Six Nations will see his brilliant passing and attacking game and the little flick-ons. He’s also very relaxed on the field. He’s always had that in the locker.
‘He’s clearly always been an extremely talented player.
‘But talent only gets you so far and it’s clear how much he’s knuckled down and improved his game in the last two years or so.
‘I really liked an interview I saw him give the other day in which he said this Scotland team is under a bit of pressure to go and win something.
‘I thought it was refreshingly honest for him to say they’ve probably under-achieved a bit and that he knows time is running out for a good group of Scottish players.
‘It was another sign of his growing leadership which has been reflected in him being named Scotland co-captain.’
One word that sums him up?
‘Exciting. There’s no doubt he’s an exciting player.
‘Players like Finn and Marcus Smith are the ones supporters want to watch.’
Greig Laidlaw
Former Scotland captain and half-back partner
‘Finn is super relaxed before games and doesn’t get flustered when he’s playing. If he makes a mistake, he just shrugs it off.
‘He’s not cocky, but he has so much self-confidence and that’s probably why he is the player he is, because he just backs himself. That self-confidence rubs off on the people around him. Certainly, he gave me that confidence, playing alongside him in a Scotland jersey.
‘Another big thing about him is that he wants the ball all the time, even if he’s just made a mistake.
Former scotland half-back partner Greg Laidlaw (left) claimed that Russell was ‘not cocky’ but had ‘so much self-confidence’ that it rubbed off on the rest of the squad
Laidlaw claimed that he ‘is a special player’, recounting a funny anecdote of Russell riding a racing bike around the team room
‘He has a constant drive to put teams under pressure and keep playing his game, no matter what the scoreline is.
‘When he’s really “on”; seeing things, picking passes and making breaks, other teams get scared. He’s got it all – the kick-pass, the ability to play around teams and the ability to take contact and off-load. That what defences fear about him.
‘He’s a fun character. We were down in Australia one time, we’d had a long trip and we had to go to the team room for a meeting.
‘All the players were arriving, then next thing Finn appeared on this racing bike and starting cycling round the team room wearing this random helmet.
‘There are so many stupid, funny stories when you think back. He’s one of the boys, he likes to enjoy himself and he knows when to switch off from rugby.’
One word that sums him up?
‘Special. He’s 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 laid-back that it makes you think he doesn’t care. I love watching him play. He’s always trying to push the limits and stretch the players around him – bringing them along with him. He believes in himself and his natural hand-eye ability and game sense is phenomenal.
‘He is an instinctive games-player. I remember being in Spain with him last year, watching him pick up a padel racquet and play padel with no stress, just using his hand-eye skills and putting the ball in the right areas where the opposition weren’t.
Former Gloucester coach, Rory Teague, worked with Russell during his time at Racing 92
Teague claimed that Russell ‘is the best 10 in the world’ and ‘has mastered the game of rugby’
Teague also lauded Russell as a ‘magician’ while adding that the 31-year-old is paving the way for future fly-halves
‘He has mastered the game of rugby. I believe he’s the best 10 in the world and he has a real drive to be the best – without outwardly showing that. Finn is definitely not out of any manual, but I think he is creating his own one for the future, for fly-halves. He’s the best because he’s doing it his own way. I don’t think he stresses about what others are doing. 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 would train with his laces undone. We’d have a laugh about it and I’d say to him, “Come on, Finn, tick the box, tie your laces up”, so he’d do his laces up and double-knot them. Some of the younger lads had started copying him by training with their laces undone, then when Finn laced his boots up, they would lace their boots up too.’
One word that sums him up?
‘Magician.’
Lee Blackett
Coaches Russell at Bath
‘He’s unique in plenty of ways. He has some incredible attributes like his speed of pass, the speed he can put the ball on to 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 ability to execute it.
‘In terms of how he is around the team, his biggest strength is his calmness. He makes everyone not panic if mistakes are made. In his first start for the club, at Saracens, from our first lineout, Finn was charged down and they scored. For the next 20 minutes he was unplayable. We scored three great tries and Finn just kept attacking the line. It showed that when you make an error, you have to move on and make your next job very good. That’s what he did. He was outstanding.
Bath Coach, Lee Blackett (right) claimed that Russell has some ‘incredible attributes’ that make him a ‘unique’ player
He also recounted when Russell shushed the Shed end at Kingsholm, calling him ‘cheeky’
‘Opposition teams try to put pressure on him but the more they do and jump out (of the defensive line) as individuals, the more he can pick them off. It will be a great test of England’s new defensive system, when they play against 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 at Kingsholm, he ended up running 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 made it out of Gloucester! But Finn Russell did it and everyone was asking for his autograph after the game.’