Russell lends a hand with inside information
Exiled fly-half seeks to give Scotland an edge for France visit to Murrayfield
SIX weeks on from Finn Russell walking out of the Scotland camp prior to the side’s opening game of this Six Nations, there has finally been some positive news about the exiled fly-half’s relationship with head coach Gregor Townsend.
Last weekend, Townsend revealed he had taken part in “positive” conversations with the Racing 92 star, and that Russell was due to take part in a conference call with Scotland’s coaching team in order to pass on his inside knowledge about French rugby.
But when assistant coach Danny Wilson revealed that Monday’s call had not happened, there were concerns the relationship between Russell and Townsend was not healing quite as some had hoped.
However, scrum coach Pieter de Villiers has confirmed the planned call with Russell has happened, albeit a few days late, and the 27-year-old’s contribution this week will, hopes de Villiers, give Scotland an edge as they take on France at Murrayfield on Sunday, with the coaches also chatting to Johnnie Beattie, who played in France for eight years before retiring in January
“Finn is at Racing working with some of the players who play for France and some of the coaches who are involved with France so he is obviously invaluable for us in terms of information,” said de Villiers.
“We talked bits and bobs of strategy and tactics in French rugby that we will hopefully use. That is the first time I’ve spoken to [Finn] and we spoke rugby, about technique and strategy.”
De Villiers himself is likely to have some useful information to impart about the French side, who are going for the grand slam. The South African-born prop played for France for eight years, as well as playing his club rugby with Stade Francais for 14 years.
The 47-year-old may have retired as a player in 2008 but having played alongside French national coach Fabien Gaulthie as well as team manager Raphael Ibanez, de Villiers is familiar with the style of rugby the French have been playing this Six Nations and is confident he knows what to expect from the visitors.
“I have a little bit of an insight into how the French play,” he said. “With the French you need to do well up front at the set-piece and in terms of the physicality, and once you get that done you’re in the game.
“But if you don’t do well there, then it’s going to be a long day at the office. That’s especially the case against this French team who have taken to those traditional values.
“Fabien is an all-round coach and he’s particularly good at attack, but after the World Cup [where they reached the quarter-finals] there’s been a greater stress on defence and physicality.”
De Villiers, who worked with the South African national team for six years, only joined the Scotland set-up at the start of this year’s Six Nations build-up but already he has had a significant impact on the quality of the squad’s scrummaging. Even he has been surprised at just how quickly the front-row players have been able to take on board his advice.
“This is probably the group that has responded the quickest ever,” he said. “Knowing the players now, it isn’t a surprise because I see how disciplined they are in terms of effort. So it was a matter of a few changes here and there.”