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The Internet's best responses to Finn Russell leaving Scotland's camp on the eve of Six Nations
Since the news broke that Scotland’s star flyhalf Finn Russell has been sent home for behavioural issues ahead of their first Six Nations game against Ireland, the Internet has been responding accordingly.
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The BBC first reported on Thursday morning that Russell had left camp, after he failed to show up for Monday’s training session following a late-night drinking session at the team hotel which broke team protocol.
Finn Russell allegedly refused to stop drinking at the team hotel on the sunday night, allegedly didn’t turn up for training on the Monday and was axed for the Ireland game because of his alleged behaviour. He left the Scotland camp to return to Paris.
— Rob Robertson (@ROB_Robireland) January 23, 2020
The flyhalf is one of Scotland’s best players and integral to their Six Nations campaign, which sent many disappointed fans online to vent about his upcoming absence. Among the many upset fans were those able to spin humorous takes on the matter.
Sources close to the matter reveal that Finn Russell was disciplined for multiple offences in breach of Scotland team protocol:
1. Breaking the gain line;
2. Running at pace;
3. Making first up tackles; &
4. Bringing a winning mentality.To be confirmed.#SRU#FinnRussell
— Matthew McILwaine (@mattmcilwaine) January 23, 2020
https://twitter.com/CammyBlack/status/1220414130630340608
Definitely think Finn Russell could be an even better player with a few double rum and cokes in him.
— Alex Shaw (@alexshawsport) January 23, 2020
Following the departure yesterday of Finn Russell from the six nations squad, it is looking increasingly likely that the SRU are preparing a bid for Alfredo Morelos!
— scott doc (@supershycelts) January 24, 2020
Sarries: right lads, we're the biggest rugby shock of the week
Finn Russell: hold my beer
— Joshua King ? (@JoshKingWrites) January 23, 2020
Rugby press: "This Saracens story is going to drag on and on and nothing is going to top it in terms of headlines this week"
Finn Russell: "Hold by beer"
…
Finn Russell: "Actually, can I have that back?"
— alan dooney (@alandooney) January 23, 2020
https://twitter.com/GShandy00/status/1220376612035796992
https://twitter.com/JFitzpatrick92/status/1220330594363637760
Hearing that Finn Russell did NOT vote for the Conservative Party in last month's election and is therefore not welcome in the team. pic.twitter.com/xNbMqHUAWv
— Ferguson Out (@TunnockCup) January 23, 2020
This whole Finn Russell debacle stinks of conspiracy and I would bet all my savings that Pete Horne is behind it
— Jamie (@JamieOReilly15) January 23, 2020
Russell flew back to Paris and turned out for his club side Racing 92 in the Top 14 yesterday, starting in the side’s 27-0 win over Castres.
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Following the victory, the team posted a photo of the squad in the changing rooms in which Russell can be seen in the middle with his top off with others pointing at him.
Comments on RugbyPass
He was in such great form. Sad for him but only a short term injury and it will be great to see him back for the finals.
1 Go to commentsAfter their 5/0 start, I had the Crusaders to finish Top 4 only…they lost the plot in Perth but will reload and back themselves vs 4th placed Rebels…
3 Go to commentsBoth nations missed a great opportunity to book a game that would have had a lot of interest from around the world. I understand these games can’t be organised in 5 minutes but they should have found a way to make it happen. I don’t think Wales are ducking anyone but it’s a bad look haha.
3 Go to commentsIt will be fascinating to see the effect that Jo Yapp has. If they can compete with Canada and give BFs a run for their money that will be progress
1 Go to commentsFollowing his dream and putting in the work. Go well young fella!
3 Go to commentsPerhaps filling Twickenham is one of Mitchell’s KPIs. I doubt whether both September matches will be at Twickenham on consecutive weekends. I would take the BF one to a large provincial stadium so as not to give them the advantage and experience of playing at Twickenham before a large crowd prior to the RWC.
3 Go to commentsvery unfortunate for Kitshoff, but big opportunity potentially for Nché to prove he is genuinely the best loosehead in the world, rather than just a specialist finisher. Presuming that if Kitshoff is out, it will also give Steenekamp a chance to come into the 23? Or are others likely to be ahead of him?
1 Go to commentsA long held question in popular culture asks if art imitates life or does the latter influence the former? Over this 6 nations I can ask the same question of the media influencing the thoughts of its audience or vice versa. Nobody wants to see cricket scores in rugby, as a spectacle it is not sustainable. With so many articles about England’s procession and lack of competition it feeds the epicaricacy of many looking for an opportunity to pounce. England are not the first team to dominate nor does it happen only in rugby, think Federer, Nadal, Red Bull or Mercedes, Manchester Utd, Australia in tests and World Cups. Instead of celebrating the achievements why find reasons to falsify it pointing towards larger playing pool, professional for a longer period or mitigate with the lack of growth in other nations. Can we not enjoy it while it is here and know that it won’t last for ever, others coveting what England have will soon take the crown, ask the aforementioned?
6 Go to commentsShame he won’t turn out for the Netherlands now they’re improving. U20s are Euro champs and in the U20 Trophy this year. The senior sides gets better every year too.
3 Go to commentsWill rugbypass tv be showing these games?
1 Go to commentsWell where do you start, the fact that England have a professional domestic league and Ireland’s is fully amatuer, that they have fully seperated professional squads at Fifteens and Sevens (7’s thinly disguised as GB), and Ireland have fully pro Sevens squad who loan some players back to the Semi-Professional Fifteens squad (moved from amateur for only a year or so) for a few games at 6N & RWC’s. The Women’s games is a shambles, and is at risk of killing itself by pushing for professionalism when the market isn’t really there to support it outside one or two countnries..
6 Go to commentsWayne Smith's input didn't have as much impact on the last final as Davison's red card for Thompson. England were 14 points up and flying when that happened.
6 Go to commentsBilly's been playing consistently well for 2 - 3 seasons now and deserves a look in at the top level. Ioane and ALB are still first choice but there needs to be injury cover and succession. His partnership with Jordie gives him first dibs you'd think. Go the Hurricanes.
3 Go to commentsIt’s not up to Wales to support Georgian Rugby. That’s up to International Rugby and Georgia. I sympathise with Georgia’s decent attempt to create this fixture. But for Wales the proposed match up is just a potential stick to beat them with and a potential big psychological blow that young Welsh team doesn’t need. (I’m Irish BTW.)
3 Go to commentsCale certainly looks great in space, but as you say, he has struggled in contact. At 23 years old, turning 24 this year, he should be close to full physical maturity and yet there exists a considerable gap in the power and physicality required for international rugby. Weight doesn’t automatically equate to power and physicality either. Can he go from a player who’s being physically dominated in Super rugby to physically dominating in international rugby in 1 or 2 years? That’s a big ask but he may end up being a late bloomer.
36 Go to commentsIf rugby wants to remain interesting in the AI era then it will need to work on changing the rules. AI will reduce the tactical advantage of smart game plans, will neutralize primary attacking weapons, and will move rugby from a being a game of inches to a game of millimetres. It will be about sheer athleticism and technique,about avoiding mistakes, and about referees. Many fans will find that boring. The answer is to add creative degrees of freedom to the game. The 50-22 is an example. But we can have fun inventing others, like the right to add more players for X minutes per game, or the equivalent of the 2-point conversion in American football, the ability to call a 12-player scrum, etc. Not saying these are great ideas, but making the point that the more of these alternatives you allow, the less AI will be able to lock down high-probability strategies. This is not because AI does not have the compute power, but because it has more choices and has less data, or less-specific data. That will take time and debate, but big, positive and immediate impact could be in the area of ref/TMO assistance. The technology is easily good enough today to detect forward passes, not-straight lineouts, offside at breakdown/scrum/lineout, obstruction, early/late tackles, and a lot of other things. WR should be ultra aggressive in doing this, as it will really help in an area in which the game is really struggling. In the long run there needs to be substantial creativity applied to the rules. Without that AI (along with all of the pro innovations) will turn rugby into a bash fest.
24 Go to commentsSouth Africa rarely play Ireland and France on these tours. Mostly, England, Scotland and Wales. I wonder why
2 Go to commentsIt was a let’s-see-what-you're-made-of type of a game. The Bulls do look good when the opposition allows them to, but Munster shut them down, and they could not find a way through. Jake should be very worried about their chances in the competition.
2 Go to commentsHats off to Fabian for a very impressive journey to date. Is it as ‘uniquely unlikely’ as Rugby Pass suggests, given Anton Segner’s journey at the Blues?
3 Go to commentsSad that this was not confirmed. When administrators talk about expanding the game they evidently don’t include pathways to the top tier of rugby for teams outside of the old boys club. Rugby deserves better, and certainly Georgia does.
3 Go to comments