Co-captain Russell buries the hatchet

– Finn Russell believes his appointment as Scotland co-captain for the upcoming Six Nations is proof of how a once strained relationship with head coach Gregor Townsend has been repaired.

The 31-year-old flyhalf was named as skipper, along with back-rower Rory Darge last weekend, with the first outing for the new leadership duo being Scotland’s Six Nations opener away to Wales on 3 February.

Back in 2020, Russell and Townsend – himself a former Scotland playmaker – had a well publicised falling out when the stand-off left the squad ahead of the Six Nations after being disciplined for failing to turn up for training following a drinking session.

Two years later, another unauthorised night out during the Six Nations led Townsend to drop Russell from his squad for the subsequent Autumn internationals.

But fears that Russell’s international career would be cut short ended when the pair had talks midway through that series, with the gifted No 10 recalled.

Now the 75-times capped Russell is all set to lead Scotland after Townsend stripped back-row Jamie Ritchie of the captaincy following a difficult World Cup in France where the Scots failed to get out of a tough pool featuring eventual champions South Africa and Ireland, the reigning Six Nations title-holders.

“I think 2020 would have been the closest to that,” Russell said when asked if he ever thought his Scotland career was over.

“I was still young enough then that I wouldn’t have said I’d have been done (with Scotland), but with the relationship me and Gregor had, it was potentially tough at the time to see a way back for both of us but I think it shows how well we’ve both dealt with it since then.”

He suggested their resurrected relationship could now even “drive the team on to a title.”