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'Okay, fine': Townsend throws light on his axing of Finn Russell

By Liam Heagney
(Photo by Ramsey Cardy/Sportsfile via Getty Images)

Gregor Townsend has cagily defended his decision to start Blair Kinghorn as the Scotland out-half for only the second time in his career and bench the established Finn Russell for this Saturday’s Guinness Six Nations game away to Ireland. 

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The Scottish coach named a starting XV containing two changes from last weekend’s win away to Italy and while the inclusion of the fit-again Jonny Gray for the benched Sam Skinner was no surprise, leaving out 2021 Lions tourist Russell was an earthquake of a call. 

Kinghorn has only worn the No10 once before in a Test match, starting the October win over Tonga in that position, but his other 19 starts have come either on the wing or at full-back – stretching back to 2018 when he first debuted at international level.  

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Having publicly fallen out with Townsend at the start of the 2020 Six Nations, Russell mended that relationship with the Scotland coach and had re-established himself as the first-choice out-half, starting the last seven matches this season and wearing the No10 shirt in four of last season’s five Six Nations games. 

However, Townsend has now gambled in including Kinghorn as the starting out-half – rather than last weekend’s sub Adam Hastings – in place of the axed Russell as Scotland seek to salvage their disappointing Six Nations campaign by getting a result against the trophy-chasing Ireland. 

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The alteration, though, was a touchy subject at the coach’s Thursday lunchtime live media session, Townsend trying to put the emphasis on how well Kinghorn has played at club level rather than dwell on the indifferent Test form of Russell. Initially asked to explain the change, the Scotland boss said: “We see it as a good opportunity for Blair. He has been in really good form. He wasn’t available for our match last week. 

“The week before that he played his best game of the season against Connacht (for Edinburgh) and he has come on twice off the (Scotland) bench and shown what he can do in that jersey. He started for us before this season against Tonga and did really well. He has built on that performance so we believe this is the right time, the right game for him to play in.” 

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How did Russell react to the news, how did that conversation go? “Okay, fine. Like any conversation you have with someone who is not starting they are initially disappointed but they support the team. Finn will support Blair and he will support the rest and he has done this week.”

What has Russell not done this year that has seen him drop out of the starting team? “I’d prefer to focus on what Blair has done and how well he has played and deserves this opportunity which he certainly has on his performances throughout the season.”

Would you accept there is a risk in taking someone of Russell’s calibre out of the starting XV and going to a place like Dublin? “Every selection is an opportunity and there is no exact science selection. It’s about giving players an opportunity and what you feel is right.

“That is based on what you have seen from players in training and games, the opposition that is coming up and we know Blair has done really well and has earned his opportunity. And also with how we are looking to play the game with Blair’s strengths.”

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What are Kinghorn’s strengths, then? “He is a very good passer of the ball, he is an excellent runner, he has a long kicking game and he moves well between phases, so I’ll leave it just like that. I suppose that is how I would best describe it, that he senses where the space might appear in the defence very well.” 

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Jon 1 hours ago
Jake White: Are modern rugby players actually better?

This is the problem with conservative mindsets and phycology, and homogenous sports, everybody wants to be the same, use the i-win template. Athlete wise everyone has to have muscles and work at the gym to make themselves more likely to hold on that one tackle. Do those players even wonder if they are now more likely to be tackled by that player as a result of there “work”? Really though, too many questions, Jake. Is it better Jake? Yes, because you still have that rugby of ole that you talk about. Is it at the highest International level anymore? No, but you go to your club or checkout your representative side and still engage with that ‘beautiful game’. Could you also have a bit of that at the top if coaches encouraged there team to play and incentivized players like Damian McKenzie and Ange Capuozzo? Of course we could. Sadly Rugby doesn’t, or didn’t, really know what direction to go when professionalism came. Things like the state of northern pitches didn’t help. Over the last two or three decades I feel like I’ve been fortunate to have all that Jake wants. There was International quality Super Rugby to adore, then the next level below I could watch club mates, pulling 9 to 5s, take on the countries best in representative rugby. Rugby played with flair and not too much riding on the consequences. It was beautiful. That largely still exists today, but with the world of rugby not quite getting things right, the picture is now being painted in NZ that that level of rugby is not required in the “pathway” to Super Rugby or All Black rugby. You might wonder if NZR is right and the pathway shouldn’t include the ‘amateur’, but let me tell you, even though the NPC might be made up of people still having to pull 9-5s, we know these people still have dreams to get out of that, and aren’t likely to give them. They will be lost. That will put a real strain on the concept of whether “visceral thrill, derring-do and joyful abandon” type rugby will remain under the professional level here in NZ. I think at some point that can be eroded as well. If only wanting the best athlete’s at the top level wasn’t enough to lose that, shutting off the next group, or level, or rugby players from easy access to express and showcase themselves certainly will. That all comes back around to the same question of professionalism in rugby and whether it got things right, and rugby is better now. Maybe the answer is turning into a “no”?

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j
john 3 hours ago
Will the Crusaders' decline spark a slow death for New Zealand rugby?

But here in Australia we were told Penney was another gun kiwi coach, for the Tahs…….and yet again it turned out the kiwi coach was completely useless. Another con job on Australian rugby. As was Robbie Deans, as was Dave Rennie. Both coaches dumped from NZ and promoted to Australia as our saviour. And the Tahs lap them up knowing they are second rate and knowing that under pressure when their short comings are exposed in Australia as well, that they will fall in below the largest most powerful province and choose second rate Tah players to save their jobs. As they do and exactly as Joe Schmidt will do. Gauranteed. Schmidt was dumped by NZ too. That’s why he went overseas. That why kiwi coaches take jobs in Australia, to try and prove they are not as bad as NZ thought they were. Then when they get found out they try and ingratiate themselves to NZ again by dragging Australian teams down with ridiculous selections and game plans. NZ rugby’s biggest problem is that it can’t yet transition from MCaw Cheatism. They just don’t know how to try and win on your merits. It is still always a contest to see how much cheating you can get away with. Without a cheating genius like McCaw, they are struggling. This I think is why my wise old mate in NZ thinks Robertson will struggle. The Crusaders are the nursery of McCaw Cheatism. Sean Fitzpatrick was probably the father of it. Robertson doesn’t know anything else but other countries have worked it out.

15 Go to comments
A
Adrian 5 hours ago
Will the Crusaders' decline spark a slow death for New Zealand rugby?

Thanks Nick The loss of players to OS, injury and retirement is certainly not helping the Crusaders. Ditto the coach. IMO Penny is there to hold the fort and cop the flak until new players and a new coach come through,…and that's understood and accepted by Penny and the Crusaders hierarchy. I think though that what is happening with the Crusaders is an indicator of what is happening with the other NZ SRP teams…..and the other SRP teams for that matter. Not enough money. The money has come via the SR competition and it’s not there anymore. It's in France, Japan and England. Unless or until something is done to make SR more SELLABLE to the NZ/Australia Rugby market AND the world rugby market the $s to keep both the very best players and the next rung down won't be there. They will play away from NZ more and more. I think though that NZ will continue to produce the players and the coaches of sufficient strength for NZ to have the capacity to stay at the top. Whether they do stay at the top as an international team will depend upon whether the money flowing to SRP is somehow restored, or NZ teams play in the Japan comp, or NZ opts to pick from anywhere. As a follower of many sports I’d have to say that the organisation and promotion of Super Rugby has been for the last 20 years closest to the worst I’ve ever seen. This hasn't necessarily been caused by NZ, but it’s happened. Perhaps it can be fixed, perhaps not. The Crusaders are I think a symptom of this, not the cause

15 Go to comments
T
Trevor 8 hours ago
Will forgotten Wallabies fit the Joe Schmidt model?

Thanks Brett.. At last a positive article on the potential of Wallaby candidates, great to read. Schmidt’s record as an international rugby coach speaks for itself, I’m somewhat confident he will turn the Wallaby’s fortunes around …. on the field. It will be up to others to steady the ship off the paddock. But is there a flaw in my optimism? We have known all along that Australia has the players to be very competitive with their international rivals. We know that because everyone keeps telling us. So why the poor results? A question that requires a definitive answer before the turn around can occur. Joe Schmidt signed on for 2 years, time to encompass the Lions tour of 2025. By all accounts he puts family first and that’s fair enough, but I would wager that his 2 year contract will be extended if the next 18 months or so shows the statement “Australia has the players” proves to be correct. The new coach does not have a lot of time to meld together an outfit that will be competitive in the Rugby Championship - it will be interesting to see what happens. It will be interesting to see what happens with Giteau law, the new Wallaby coach has already verbalised that he would to prefer to select from those who play their rugby in Australia. His first test in charge is in July just over 3 months away .. not a long time. I for one wish him well .. heaven knows Australia needs some positive vibes.

21 Go to comments
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