Finn Russell is still misunderstood: Anthony Watson

Finn Russell may be viewed as a maverick player prone to significant mistakes but Anthony Watson dismisses this criticism of a player he believes can lead former club Bath to European Challenge Cup glory over Lyon in Cardiff.

Watson played alongside Russell on the 2021 British and Irish Lions tour of South Africa and that experience gave him an insight into the preparation the Scotland No.10 puts into his performances. While Russell’s critics are quick to leap onto any mistake, particularly if it costs points, Watson is adamant that the plusses in his game far outweigh any negatives.

Watson, who scored 23 tries in 56 games for England, told RugbyPass: “It is almost a case of confirmation bias in that people have a certain view of how Finn approaches the game and any mistake confirms what they believe to be his style, which is debatable. Reputation in sport is very difficult to change and Finn has the reputation of being a maverick-style player when he plays so many solid games that he doesn’t really get credit for.

“That’s because he has so many highlight reels that the five-metre miss pass to one of the forwards to break a line is 25 minutes into his highlight reel as opposed to other players, when that would be front and centre (on the reel). Because of the bag of tricks Finn has got it means standard work is perceived as nothing. Some of it is because of how good he is and some is down to the reputation that he has got. At the start of his career, he may have been deemed to be a maverick, but that is a slightly unfair statement now because of how rounded his game is.

“I was lucky enough to play with Finn on the Lions tour and he is a very, very good communicator. It may look as if he is doing things off the cuff, but he has words with teammates two phases before about what he is seeing. In match week, there will be a lot of preparation and he will have specific techniques to exploit the opposition defence.

“What may appear like Finn Russell kicking a random cross kick is something he has seen in the week and wants to exploit that space. A lot of this is done behind the scenes and while it looks off the cuff – and a lot of it is – it is based on preparation. He is very meticulous preparing for a game and he is properly on it.”

Watson is similarly supportive of Ben Spencer, the Bath scrum-half and club captain, whose form has been equally important as Bath have moved to the top of the Premiership and into the Challenge Cup final.

“Ben is the super steady player Bath have got and while some people may be having an off game, he is always a solid 7/10 and you absolutely need players like that if you want to go far:” he added.

“Ben also has the ability to slow the game down and play an attritional style and find space with his kicking game. He is one of the most well-rounded scrum-halves in the world in his ability to play different styles. He is a main contributor to why Bath have been so successful this season.”

76′ | The intercept!

Max Ojomoh intercepts and finds Joe Cokanasiga who runs over to score. Russell converts

🛁38-15🐯 pic.twitter.com/mKVQUZAGUK

— Bath Rugby (@BathRugby) May 17, 2025

What marks out Bath’s clash with Lyon and the Investec Champions Cup battle between Northampton and Bordeaux is the presence of some of the world’s outstanding wings who are playing for teams that recognise the importance of creating space for speedsters to show off their skills. While the kick-chase is still very much part of the game, attack coaches have helped change the look of the sport with their inventive work.

It has not gone unnoticed by Watson, who would have revelled in the current attack-heavy playbook given his wonderful footwork and world-class pace. “Timing is great for me – just retired!” joked the former Leicester wing who was forced to retire due to a back injury.” I had to see the game through the kick chase and Eddie Jones told me that rugby goes through cycles when the defence is on top and then the attack is on top.

“Northampton showed last year in the manner they won the Premiership that we are going into a phase where the attack is more nuanced and able to exploit what was the premier focus of most teams – defence.

“Getting your most dangerous players on the ball as much as possible from an attacking perspective is an absolute no-brainer. But, you can’t just sling the ball out to the wingers and let them have a crack and it is what is done before that which has become more nuanced in terms of running lines and forwards ball playing to tighten up the defence to create that space to be exposed on the edge. It is brilliant for the Premiership and the European leagues and from a biased point of view, seeing the English teams employ that attacking mindset is great, although a bit frustrating as I am now out of the game.

“In the Bath game with Lyon, you have Joe Cokanasiga playing with a smile on his face again,n together with Will Muir, who is close to an international call-up, while the French team’s backs will hopefully include Monty Ioane alongside Georgia’s Davit Niniashvili. All four are very different players and it will make for a very exciting game.

“Joe has really improved his high ball stuff and is playing with a bit of niggle as well, carrying the ball hard. You want him to suck in two or three defenders to create space as well as crashing over with three guys trying to stop him.

“Niniashvili is absolutely rapid, but what sets him apart is his rugby IQ and he sees space for kicks or to carry. He is probably one of the most underrated back-three players in the world because of how he sees the game backed up by that speed. It will be a real focus for Bath to make sure he is quiet.

What a season @UBBrugby are having 🔥

Best moment so far in #InvestecChampionsCup?

Last few tickets remaining here ➡️ https://t.co/O7bnPkk91G pic.twitter.com/5ULjX7hWdb

— Investec Champions Cup (@ChampionsCup) May 20, 2025

“In the Northampton final with Bordeaux, you have Tommy Freeman up against Damian Penaud and Louis Bielle-Biarrey, and I have run out of superlatives for those three. Bielle-Biarrey to do what he is doing at his age is a different level and can take anyone on with a bag of tricks. He is ridiculous and we have seen Penaud scoring tries for so long and they have both created records that are insane at international level.

“Tommy is doing a really good job of staying with the two French guys and he is such a rounded player who can appear at 13 or 15 as well as wing. That experience has made him a significantly better rugby player, which allows him to play wing with a complete licence to roam. He is unpredictable and difficult to defend against because he can put others into space, brilliant in the air and there isn’t any area of his game you can identify as a clear weakness.”

With so many wonderful wings on duty in the finals, which teams will end up lifting the trophies? “Bath are going to win and I think Bordeaux have got too much for Northampton – their confidence is so high and I wouldn’t be surprised to see them collect a Cup and Top 14 double.”

Anthony Watson is part of the Premier Sports team, bringing live, exclusive TV coverage across the UK of the EPCR Challenge Cup Final and Investec Champions Cup Final. Visit www.premiersports.com and subscribe for just £11.99 a month.