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Finn Russell: Tuilagi 'decoy' quip and giving Curry 'a bit of lip'
Scotland out-half Finn Russell has spoken about his encounter last Sunday in Paris with England duo Manu Tuilagi and Tom Curry in the Heineken Champions Cup quarter-final win by Racing over the visiting Sale. There was plenty of chat from the Manchester club in the build-up to the fixture, Alex Sanderson describing to RugbyPass that the focus on Russell was “a black swan moment”.
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Racing went on to secure a comfortable 41-22 victory to set up an all-French semi-final this Sunday versus La Rochelle and Russell has been reflecting on his team’s progress during a guest appearance on this week’s edition of The Rugby Pod.
As an ex-out-half, show co-host Andy Goode was interested in finding out what it was like for Russell to have a monster No12 in the guise of Tuilagi running in his direction. “I was kind of joking with him before the game, saying ‘I hope it is going to be miss passes all the time just going straight to 13, you are not going to run it straight’, and he said, ‘Nah, nah, don’t worry, I am just a decoy today‘,” said Russell.
“I was thinking I don’t know if that is him playing mind games joking around or what, I am not sure. I think I only tackled him once or twice, it wasn’t actually that bad. I thought their game plan would be just nine to him and running straight at me and then trying to put them on front foot ball.
“In the last European games Stade Francais, (Ngani) Laumape did a similar sort of approach and I thought they would do the same with him. I feel quite lucky actually, they didn’t target me that much.
Finn Russell the Magician and We’re Back in the Studio!
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“No one really bothers me, it just depends where you are mentally,” he added about the interest he garners from opposition midfielders. “If I am there mentally and it’s a quarter-final of Europe, I am going to go and tackle and if you have to get injured, whatever, that is the way it goes sometimes. He didn’t actually run up straight that many times which was good but defence if the team is mentally there then you will be fine.”
That said, it wasn’t just Tuilagi who was on Russell’s case as a number of the Sale forwards, including February England skipper Curry, were keen on rushing him. “No, I don’t really mind that. Yeah, they put me under pressure, they flew up and it was more sort of I’d passed and they’d hit me late off the ball or if I kick it and they’d try to hit me after I kicked it.
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“When I was in the defensive line you could hear them saying, there’s Finn can I go after him. Tom Curry was saying that one time when I caught the high ball and he smashed me after it. He was trying to give me a bit of lip which was quite funny.”
Comments on RugbyPass
A wallaby front-row of Bell, Blake and Tupou…now that would be hefty
1 Go to comments“But with an exceptional pass accuracy rating “ Which apart from Roigard is not a feature of any of the other 9s in NZ. Kind of basic for a Black 9 dont.you. think? Yet we keep seeing FC and TJ being rated ahead of him? Weird if it’s seen as vital to get our backline beating in your face defences.
1 Go to commentsThanks BeeMc! Looks like many teams need extra time to settle from the quadrennial northern migration. I think generally the quality of the Rugby has held up. Fiji has been fantastic and fun to watch
13 Go to commentsLets compare apples with apples. Lyon sent weak team the week before, but nobody raised an eyebrow. Give the South African teams a few years to build their depth, then you will be moaning that the teams are too strong.
41 Go to commentsDid footballs agents also perform the scout role at some time? I’m surprised more high profile players haven’t taken up the occupation, great way to remain in the game and use all that experience without really requiring a lot of specific expertise?
1 Go to commentsSuper rugby is struggling but that has little to do with sabbaticals. 1. Too many teams from Aust and NZ - should be 3 and 4 respectively, add in 2 from Japan, 1 possibly 2 from Argentina. 2. Inconsistent and poor refereeing, admittedly not restricted to Super rugby. Only one team was reffed at the breakdown in Reds v H’Landers match. Scrum penalty awarded in Canes v Drua when No 8 had the ball in the open with little defence nearby - ideal opportunity to play advantage. Coming back to Reds match - same scrum situation but ref played advantage - Landers made 10 yards and were penalised at the breakdown when the ref should have returned to scrum penalty. 3. Marketing is weak and losing ground to AFL and NRL. Playing 2 days compared with 4. 4. Scheduling is unattractive to family attendance. Have any franchises heard of Sundays 2pm?
11 Go to commentsAbsolutely..all they need is a chance in yhe playoffs and I bet all the other teams will be nervous…THEY KNOW HOW TO WIN IM THE PLAYOFFS..
2 Go to commentsI really hope he comes back and helps out with some coaching.
1 Go to commentsI think we are all just hoping that the Olympic 7s doesn’t suffer the same sad fate as the last RWC with the officials ruining the spectacle.
1 Go to commentsPersonally, I’ve lost the will to even be bothered about the RFU, the structure, the participants. It’s all a sham. I now simply enjoy getting a group of friends together to go and watch a few games a year in different locations (including Europe, the championship, etc). I feel extremely sorry for the real fans of these clubs who are constantly ignored by the RFU and other administrators. I feel especially sorry for the fans of clubs in the Championship who have had considerable central funding stripped away and are then expected to just take whatever the RFU put to them. Its all a sham, especially if the failed clubs are allowed to return.
10 Go to commentsI’m guessing Carl Hayman would have preferred to have stayed in NZ with benefit of hindsight. Up north there is the expectation to play twice as many games with far less ‘player management’ protocols that Paul is now criticising. Less playing through concussions means longer, healthier, careers. Carter used as the eg here by Paul, his sabbatical allowed him to play until age 37. OK its not an exact science but there is far more expectations on players who sign for Top 14 or Engl Prem clubs to get value for the huge salaries. NZR get alot wrong but keeping their best players in NZ rugby is not one of them. SA clubs are virtually devoid of their top players now, no thanks. They cant threaten the big teams in the Champions Cup, the squads have little depth. Cant see Canes/Chiefs struggling. Super has been great this year, fantastic high skill matches. Drua a fantastic addition and Jaguares will add another quality team eventually. Aus teams performing strongly and no doubt will benefit with the incentive of a Lions tour and a home RWC. Let Jordie enjoy his time with Leinster, it will allow the opportunity for another player to emerge at Canes in his absence.
11 Go to commentsLove that man, his way to despise angry little men is so funny ! 😂
4 Go to comments“South African franchises would be powerhouses if we had all our overseas based players back in situ. We would have the same unbeatable aura the Toulouses, Leinsters or Saracens of this world have had over the last decade or so.” Proof that Jake white does not understand the economics of the game in SA. Players earning abroad are not going to simply come back and represent the bulls. But they might if they have a springbok contract.
24 Go to commentsA lot of fans just joined in for the fun of it! We all admire O'Gara and what he has done for La Rochelle
4 Go to commentsThe RFU will find a way to mess this up as usual. My bet is there will be no promotion into the the Premiership, only relegation into National League One. Hopefully they won’t parachute failed clubs into the league at the expense of clubs who have battled for promotion.
10 Go to commentsWell that’s the contracts for RG and Jordie bought and paid for. Now, what are the chances we can persuade Antoine to hop over with all the extra dosh we’ll have from living at the Aviva & Croke next season…??? 🤑🤑🤑
35 Go to commentsWow, that’s incredible. Great for rugby.
35 Go to commentsYou probably read that parling is going to coach the wallaby lineout but if not before now you have.
17 Go to commentsIf someone like Leo Cullen was in O’Gara’s place I don’t hear Boo-ing. It’s not just that La Rochelle has hurt Leinster and O’Gara is their Irish boss. It’s the needle that he brings and the pantomime activity before the game around pretending that Munster were supporting LaRochelle just because O’Gara is from Cork. That’s dividing Irish provinces just to get an advantage for his French Team. He can F*ck right off with that. BOOOOO! (but not while someone is lying injured)
4 Go to commentsDid the highlanders party too hard before the game? They were the pits.
1 Go to comments