Finn Russell's stint at Racing 92 ends in defeat

Finn Russell’s time at Racing 92 came to a disappointing end as his team suffered a resounding 41-14 defeat to Toulouse in the Top 14 play-off semi-final in San Sebastian.

Russell, who will be joining Bath next season as one of the best players in the sport, had hoped to finish his career in France with a trophy, but those dreams are now over.

The Scotland fly-half, along with his teammates, struggled to find any rhythm throughout the match against Toulouse.

The first half saw Toulouse surge ahead with a 20-0 lead, courtesy of Thomas Ramos’ accurate kicking and tries from Matthis Lebel and Emmanuel Meafou. Russell had limited opportunities to showcase his skills, a misjudged kick straight into touch summing up a pretty dire first 40.

The second half continued in a similar fashion, with Toulouse extending their lead to 34-0 through tries from Alexandre Roumat and Arthur Retiere. It wasn’t until the 70th minute that Racing 92 managed to get on the scoreboard, with quickfire tries from Gael Fickou and Ibrhim Diallo, both converted by Russell. However, Toulouse had the final say as Francois Cros crossed the line on the final buzzer to complete the comprehensive victory.

For Russell, it was undoubtedly a disappointing end to his time at Racing 92. Despite an overall successful tenure with the Parisians, the former Glasgow Warriors stand-off will leave
France frustrated.

As for Toulouse, their convincing win sets up a thrilling final at the Stade de France on June 17 against either La Rochelle or Bordeaux Bègles, who will battle it out in the second semi-final.