Russell warned he must make the first move to salvage Scotland career
Finn Russell has been told it is down to him to salvage his Scotland career after he was stood down for the Guinness Six Nations opener with Ireland following a late-night drinking session.
The maverick Racing 92 stand-off’s participation in the rest of the championship has been thrown into serious doubt after Gregor Townsend decided he had no option but to take disciplinary action when Russell failed to report for training on Monday morning.
The fall-out erupted when Russell headed straight for the team hotel bar after flying into Edinburgh on Sunday night, with the Dark Blues talisman then ignoring requests from team-mates and backroom staff to stop drinking.
The 27-year-old has now returned to Paris with his international future hanging by a thread.
Former British and Irish Lions prop Peter Wright has warned Russell he will need to make the first move if he wants to mend his relationship with Townsend.
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“I would hope that they can get this patched up soon”, Wright, capped 21 times by Scotland, told the PA news agency.
“Who makes the first move, though? I’d suggest it’s probably down to Finn if he is the one who has left. But if the Scottish management see him as being that important do they try to step in and sort it out?
“It’s a real sticky situation – but I think it’s easier for Finn to come back and be the humble guy.
“I think it’s really in his court now. He has to make a decision about what has he done, has he lost the plot a wee bit, is it time to extend an olive branch to Gregor? Or will he decide he’s just not going to play for Scotland under Gregor?
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“If Scotland do well this year without him, that could end up being a long time.
“These are all big questions but I think the ball is firmly in Finn’s court.”
Since news of the fall-out broke, Russell has ‘liked’ a number of social media posts, including a tweet which says there is “nothing wrong with standing up for yourself”.
The job of building bridges between the former Glasgow star and his old Warriors boss Townsend could fall to new skipper Stuart Hogg.
However, Wright said: “If you had Greig Laidlaw or John Barclay as captain, it might have been easier to do that
There have been some developments in the Finn Russell sagahttps://t.co/u0LIIWJE2r
— RugbyPass (@RugbyPass) January 23, 2020
“This situation just heaps more pressure on Hogg. Is he the man to broker a peace deal?
“Or do you go out with the camp and bring in Mark Dodson or perhaps a respected rugby figure like John Jeffrey?
“Or do they sit down like two adults, get their grievances out on the table and get it fixed?
“I’d like to think they are both mature enough to do that. “But I really believe that there is no player bigger than the team and from that point of view Russell is probably the one who has to back down a little bit.
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“But if neither can back down then for this Six Nations there can only be one winner – and that’s Gregor.
“The SRU can’t be seen not to back their head coach. Otherwise his position is untenable because he has no authority left in the eyes of the squad.
“If Finn has broken the protocol, then it’s very difficult for Gregor, no matter who the player is, not to take action.”
The news will come as a major blow to Scotland fans as they look for improvement following a disappointing World Cup campaign, which started with a 27-3 defeat by Ireland and ended in elimination before the knockout stages.
And Wright admits is he already fearing the worst ahead of the Championships.
They ain't happy with the Scottish Rugby Union https://t.co/nRne4O6QUi
— RugbyPass (@RugbyPass) January 23, 2020
He said: “Ireland will now be in camp thinking, ‘outstanding. Their main threat is not playing. Whoever replaces him is not as good’.
“For Scotland, Finn is a guy who gives his team-mates a massive lift just by having his name on the team-sheet. There will be guys now whose heads will be going down a wee bit.
“Can they still beat Ireland? Yeah if we’re being optimistic and positive. “But I just think this is deflating as hell because I can’t think of another player in the last 25 years who has been as influential as Finn, even going back through the glory years, the Grand Slams of ’84 and ’90.
“I think he’s the most influential player we’ve ever had and going to Dublin without him is such a knock to our self-belief.”
– PressAssociation
England coach Eddie Jones says he wants the team to be “the greatest team the rugby world has ever seen” following his announcement of the team’s Six Nations squad:
Comments on RugbyPass
Thanks Brett, love your articles which are alway pertinent. It’s a difficult topic trying to have a panel adjudicating consistently penalties for red card issues. Many of the mitigating reasons raised are judged subjectively, hence the different outcomes. How to take away subjective opinions?
4 Go to commentsYes Sir! Surprising, just like Fraser would also have escaped sanction if he was a few inches lower, even if it was by accident that he missed! Has there really been talk about those sanctions or is this just sensational journalism? I stopped reading, so might have missed any notations.
4 Go to commentsAI is only as good as the information put in, the nuances of the sport, what you see out the corner of the eye, how you sum up in a split second the situation, yes the AI is a tool but will not help win games, more likely contribute to a loss, Rugby Players are not robots, all AI can do if offer a solution not the solution. AI will effect many sports, help train better golfers etc.
45 Go to commentsIt couldn’t have been Ryan Crotty. He wasn’t selected in either World Cup side - they chose Money Bill instead. And Money Bill only cared about himself, and that manager he had, not the team.
26 Go to commentsYawn 🥱 nobody would give a hoot about this new trophy. End of the day we just have to beat Ireland and NZ this year then they can finally shut up 🤐
13 Go to commentsTalking bout Ryan Crotty? Heard Crotty say in a interview once that SBW doesen't care about the team . He went on to say that whenever they lost a big game, SBW would be happy as if nothing happened, according to him someone who cares would look down.. Personally I think Crotty is in the wrong, not for feeling gutted but for expecting others 2 be like him… I have been a bad loser forever as it matters so much to me but good on you SBW for being able to see the bigger picture….
26 Go to commentsThis sounds like a WWE idea so Americans can also get excited about rugby, RUGBY NEEDS A INTERNATIONAL CALENDER .. The rugby Championship and Six Nations can be held at same time, top 3 of six nations and top 3 of Rugby championship (6 nations should include Georgia AND another qualifying country while Fiji, Japan and Samoa/Tonga qualifier should make out 6 Southern teams).. Scrap June internationals and year end tours. Have a Elite top six Cup and the Bottom 6 in a secondary comp….
13 Go to commentsThe rugby championship would be even stronger with Fiji in it… I know it doesen’t fit the long term plans of NZ or Aus but you are robbing a whole nation of being able to see their best players play for Fiji…. Every second player in NZ and AUS teams has Fijian surnames… shame on you!!! World rugby won’t step in either as France and England has now also joined in…. I guess where money is involved it will always be the poor countries missing out….
84 Go to commentsNo surprise there. How hard can it be to pick a ball off the ground and chuck it to a mate? 😂
2 Go to commentsSometimes people just like a moan mate!
4 Go to commentsexcellent idea ! rugby needs this 💪
13 Go to comments9 Brumbies! What a joke! The best performing team in Oz! Ditch Skelton for Swain or Neville. Ryan Lonergan ahead of McDermott any day! Best selection bolter is Toole … amazing player
12 Go to commentsI like this, but ultimately rugby already has enough trophies. Trying to make more games “consequential" might prove to be a fools errand, although this is a less bad idea than some others. Minor quibble with the title of the article; it isn’t very meaningful to say the boks are the unofficial world champions when it would be functionally impossible for the Raeburn trophy not to be held by the world champions. There’s a period of a few months every 4 years when there is no “unofficial” world champion, and the Raeburn trophy is held by the actual world champions.
13 Go to commentsIts a great idea but one that I dont think will have a lot of traction. It will depend on the prestige that they each hold but if you can do that it would be great. When Japan beat the Boks (my team) I was absolutely devestated but I wont deny the great game they played that day. We were outclassed and it was one of the best games of rugby I have seen. Using an idea like this you might just give the the underdog teams more of an opportunity to beat the big teams and I can absolutely see it being a brilliant display of rugby. They beat us because they planned for that game. It was a great moment for Japan. This way we can remove the 4 year wait and give teams something to aim for outside of World Cup years.
13 Go to commentsHi, Dave here. Happy to answer questions 🥰
13 Go to commentsDon’t think that headline is accurate. It’s great to see Aus doing better but I’m not sure they’ve shown much threat to the top of the table. They shouldn’t be inflating wins against the lousy Highlanders and Crusaders either.
3 Go to commentsSuch a shame Roigard and Aumua picked up long term injuries, probably the two form players in the comp. Also, pretty sure Clarke Dermody isn’t their coach. Got it half right though.
3 Go to commentsOh the Aussie media, they never learn. At least Andrew Kellaway is like “Woah, yeah it’s great, but settle down there guys” having endured years of the Aussie media, fans, and often their players getting ahead of themselves only to fall flat on their faces. Have the “We'll win the Bledisloe for sure this year!” headlines started yet? It’s simple to see what’s going on. The Aussie teams are settled, they didn't lose any of their major players overseas. The Crusaders and Chiefs lost key experienced All Blacks, and Razor in the Crusaders case, and clearly neither are anywhere near as strong as last year (The Canes and Blues would probably be 3rd & 4th if they were). The Highlanders are annually average, even more so post-Aaron Smith and a big squad clean out. The two teams at the top? The two nz sides with largely the same settled roster as last year, except Ardie Savea for the Canes. They’ve both got far better coaches now too. If the Aussies are going to win the title, this is the year the kiwi sides will be weakest, so they better take their chance.
3 Go to commentsThe World Cup has to be the gold standard, line in the sand. 113 teams compete for what is the opportunity to make the pool stages, and then the knockout games for the trophy. The concept is sound. This must have been the rationale when the World Cup was created, surely? But I’m all for Looking forward and finding new ways for the SH to dominate the NH into the future. The autumn series needs a change up. Let’s start by having the NH teams come south every odd year for the Autumn/Spring series games?
13 Go to commentsWhat’ll happen when the AI models of the future go back in time and try to destroy the AI models of the past standing in their way of certain victory?
45 Go to comments