I’ll unleash chaos theory on England
Maverick Finn has Scotland sizzling
NEVER mind who he is dating, they will be calling Finn Russell ‘ Mr Scotland’ again — for rugby reasons this time — if he inspires his country to end 34 years of pain against the auld enemy at Twickenham on Saturday.
The nickname has not been used for several months but the Glasgow fly-half had become an easy target for his team-mates when a former girlfriend, Mhairi Fergusson, won the Miss Scotland title in August 2015. It didn’t take long for the banter to begin.
‘Yeah, I got a bit of slagging for that,’ said Russell — who responds to Sportsmail’s question on the subject with good humour. ‘When she won the Miss Scotland title, we had a World Cup warm-up game. She won the final the night before, then I drove to training the next day. I was sitting in my seat in the changing room and I think it was Stuart Hogg who came up and said, “Ah, there’s Mr Scotland on his throne”.
‘The boys had a good laugh about it. It was an easy one for them. But I’m not sure if Richie Gray had any of that when his girlfriend was Miss Scotland. She won it the year before. I don’t know if he got called Mr Scotland. Maybe they’re more scared of him.’
Back then, Russell was still establishing himself as Scotland’s premier playmaker. Now, despite the disruption caused by repeat head injuries — which explain the protective padding he wears in matches — the 24-year- old is a widely-admired creative force in the No 10 shirt. Having helped Glasgow storm into the quarterfinals of the Champions Cup by running amok against some of Europe’s leading clubs, he has carried his electric form into this RBS 6 Nations.
When, 10 days ago, Scotland claimed their first win over Wales for a decade, Russell was named man of the match for kicking 19 points and igniting the attack. He has been feted by decorated No 10 Ronan O’Gara and tipped as a Lion-in-waiting by another Irish icon, Brian O’Driscoll. He is a maverick who will threaten England’s renowned defence. Asked if he relies on pure instinct, Russell said: ‘Yeah, maybe a little bit too much.’ When it was suggested that he didn’t mean that, he grinned and added: ‘Nah, not at all. I try to be unpredictable, within the structure. I try to play it off-thecuff when I can and at times it maybe does get a bit too crazy.’
He started playing rugby aged seven for Stirling County following the example of his older brother Harry. Finn was a sporting allrounder but became an apprentice stonemason when he left school, before earning an academy contract with Glasgow.
At 20, he spent time in New Zealand, playing for Lincoln University in Christchurch. The All Black-laden Crusaders would often train on a nearby pitch, but the closest he got to Dan Carter was when the pair were doing analysis work in the same room.
There was no contact, but this season Russell left the Kiwi kingpin choking on his vapour trails as Glasgow beat Racing 92.
Since that valuable spell in the world’s pre-eminent rugby nation, Russell’s star has risen fast. So fast that when he was injured at the end of last season, Glasgow coach Gregor Townsend advised him to see a psychologist, who told him to use the break to pause for reflection. It certainly did him no harm.
On Saturday, England fans should not be lulled into a false sense of security by the sight of Russell with his headphones on, perhaps even doing a little dance, during the warm- ups. It is definitely not an indication that he is taking the occasion lightly.
‘Before a game I like to listen to music to relax,’ he said. ‘I find myself dancing about and having a laugh. When I’m kicking in the warm-up, the less I think about it, the better it is. I remember a European game with Glasgow last year. I was dancing in the warmup, kicking a ball. I missed a kick and I think a few people were saying, “Look at him, messing about”. But it gets me in the groove for my kicking.’
In the absence of injured captain Greig Laidlaw, Russell will start the Calcutta Cup match as Scotland’s first-choice goalkicker. They will need him at his peak if Vern Cotter’s side are to claim the first tartan triumph at Twickenham since 1983. ‘I wasn’t even born then, so I don’t remember that,’ said Russell.
He may be galvanised by the magnitude of what awaits. ‘The rivalry with England has been around for so long, so it is a massive occasion,’ he said.
‘It’s a brilliant stadium to play at, so I’m looking forward to it. It’s not really hostile — football stadiums are hostile — but it’s big and a lot louder than most other stadiums.
‘It’s been such a long time since Scotland won there, so there’s definitely a feeling of, “Let’s be the team that finally does it”. We will try to create a bit of chaos and see what happens.’