Over the years, a narrative has built up around Finn Russell that the Scotland fly-half could not get the job done on the big stage which, through a social media prism, made him a choke artist.
Consider that spurious discourse shattered. Russell joins up with the Lions in Dublin on Monday as a Premiership champion and a Test stand-off in waiting. We all know about the razzle dazzle that Russell is capable of producing, but more than anything the 32-year-old has proved over the past two weeks that he can be a clinical, cold-eyed killer, which will appeal much more to Andy Farrell than that former quality.
In the Premiership play-offs and the Challenge Cup final, Russell kicked 18 from 18 off the tee, banishing the memory of the three conversions that cost Scotland possession of the Calcutta Cup against England. He has changed his kicking routine but, most importantly, he has proved that he has the temperament for kicking under the greatest pressure.
Russell has also shown the game-control qualities with which he has not always been associated. In the helter-skelter semi-final against Bristol, it was Russell who was the one who frequently applied the brake rather than the accelerator. Then when the time came, his quick hands set up two quick-fire tries to take the game out of Bristol’s reach.
In the final, Russell again picked his moment to deliver the seminal moment, intercepting opposite number Handre Pollard before providing a scoring pass to Max Ojomoh. Bath then held off a furious Leicester fightback to ensure no one can use Russell’s trophy drought, which had gone into its 10th year, as a stick with which to beat him in Lions selection debates.
“It was when folk started saying it, it plays on your mind and you are thinking ‘I really need to start winning stuff’,” Russell said. “Winning the Challenge Cup was amazing but at the start of the year the Prem was the goal. When you get to knockout games anything can happen.
“I fly Monday, I have not won much in my career. The last time I won a title like this was 10 years ago and I want to enjoy it. That is important as well. If I go back home and just chill then you don’t get the chance to appreciate what we have achieved. I am going to celebrate tonight, and enjoy this one. It is a special moment, this kind of stuff does not come around often.”
The one signature flourish that Russell applied in the final was the pass to Ojomoh, which was potentially forward and definitely unnecessary with no Leicester player in his immediate vicinity. Yet this was not a case of showboating, as was the case in his youth, but of selflessness in providing the spotlight to his young midfield partner.
“I could have scored it, obviously myself,” Russell said. “The boys that have been here their whole life at this club, had parents played for the club, maybe they weren’t around when they won it, but having that history with the club… He [Ojomoh] is a young player from Bath, who has only ever been at Bath. He is character and a brilliant player and, scoring that in the final, I would like to think it is a big thing for him. He said his dad [Steve, the former Bath and England forward] never scored in the final so he has got one over him there. He just needs to get an England cap now.”
Much of the discussion around Russell focuses on his team’s results rather than his individual results – how differently would Russell be viewed if he was playing behind Ireland or France’s pack? His individual battle with Fin Smith remains fascinating just because the Northampton playmaker is seen as much more of an Andy Farrell fly-half and has enjoyed an excellent individual season.
However, Russell will join Farrell’s training squad with the crucial quality of momentum from knockout rugby. “I don’t know about a springboard but having won last week against Bristol, in a different type of game, having won today in a different game and not finding our best, finding a way to win is really important,” Russell said.
“When you get to these moments and it is a knockout game, it is very different, it is a one-off game so looking forward to the Lions, there are three Tests at the end of it, whoever plays plays, and they are effectively knockout games. You want to win the series, if you don’t that’s life. Having knockout games is really important in terms of finding a way to win. It was a tough game today and we weren’t at our best, but finding a way to win is really important. With last year’s final, the experience you get from that and what you learn from it is important.
“It is something [the Lions] that has been in the back of my mind since being named in the squad, but you have got games to win at Bath, titles to win at Bath, which we have gone on and done.
“The focus tomorrow will go on to the Lions and how do I get myself ready for what is coming. When you get there, it is the best of the best and you have got to be on it every day training-wise and take your chance when it comes.”
