100
BEST PLAYERS
8
FINN
RUSSELL
44I
N TODAY’S modern game,
where defences are
ridiculously well organised,
a player who is a constant
threat and is totally unpredictable, who
sees space and, more importantly, can
get the ball there via run, pass or kick
is worth his weight in gold. For me
Finn Russell is that man, writes Wasps
Ladies DoR Giselle Mather.
All teams are analysed to pieces
these days so everyone knows what
to expect, but Russell has the ability
to create outside of that.
In a game, there’s 80% you expect to
see – what’s happening off a lineout,
what’s likely to happen from a penalty,
etc. The other 20% is recognising when
something different is happening: when
space is where you didn’t expect it,
which defender is not up as fast, which
defender has been checked, where
the opposition are going...
Russell sees all that and then exploits it- and in these days of impenetrable wall
defences that’s pure magic! Everybody’s
so organised, but he can see beyond
that and is brave with his options and
decision-making. That is rare.
He’s one of the top ten players in
the world because every time he gets
the ball you know he can do serious
damage. He’s such a threat because his
skill-set is ridiculous. His running threat
is immense and defences can’t take
their eyes off him for a second. He can
chip, grubber and punt the ball to space,
and his distribution off both hands has
ripped world-class defences apart.
He also makes good calls on
intercepts and when he’s the other side
of the defensive line, if he doesn’t finish
the try he doesn’t die with the ball and
helps set up another wave.
He’s not selfish either and I’m sure
the players around him love playing
alongside him. He knows where thespace is and he’s very good at putting
his team-mates into it. He is comfortable
taking the ball to the line and because
of his unpredictability he holds more
than just his own man and that creates
space elsewhere because opposition
teams put two players on him.
Whether for Racing 92 or Scotland,
Russell is a constant threat. If you’re
marking him, you don’t know whether
he is going to run, pass or kick and
you don’t know that every single timehe gets the ball because he is as
comfortable breaking out of his own
22 as he is attacking the opposition’s.
He’s the whole package and he has to
be given the freedom to be that man.
There will be times when he screws
things up, but for me he unlocks a game
100 times more than he messes it up, so
you’ve got to go with that. You have to
celebrate what he can do rather than
focus on things he doesn’t do.
Take the epic Six Nations game
against England at Twickenham this
year. Scotland were 31-7 down athalf-time and Russell reportedly had a
disagreement with Gregor Townsend
about how to approach the second half;
he felt he knew what was needed and
was obviously exceptionally passionate
about it. The rest, as they say, is history
as he conducted a masterclass, leaving
England scrabbling for a late try to
salvage a draw. Incredible!
He had another cracking game for the
Barbarians against England last year. He
was the key to the 63-45 win but, on
that day, he did it in a quiet, unassuming
way, putting his team-mates into space
time and again. He had the Baa-Baas
playing with massive freedom.
Another reason he makes the top ten
is simply because he is box office. In
today’s game fans want results but they
also want to be entertained. They want
to see tries scored the length of the
field and to witness the unexpected,
and that appears to be Russell’s natural
mindset because that is what he
repeatedly delivers on the big stage. He
is simply wonderful to watch. You can’t
take your eyes off him, whether as a
defender or as a spectator in the crowd.
Who wouldn’t pick him for their side?
On that note, if Russell was available
for England, I think Eddie Jones would
pick him at ten, with Owen Farrell at 12.
What a combination that would be!Age 26 (23 September 1992) Position Fly-half
Set pulses Racing Finn Russell delivers an out-the-back offload while drawing two Scarlets defenders