Going toe to toe with the best

Russell has chance to measure himself against greatness as he bids to Get Carter

IF Finn Russell has ambitions to reach the very top, we will find out today just how far he still has to travel. Rugby fans will argue long into the night as to the best player to have worn the No10 jersey but rest assured Dan Carter’s name will loom large within the pantheon of greats.

It is that challenge which faces Russell as he goes head-to-head with the mercurial All Black who will dictate the ebb and flow of Racing 92’s game plan.

Gregor Townsend has faith in his own man and said: ‘Playing ten you learn a lot as you get older so this is an exciting time for Finn who will really look forward to testing himself against Carter.

‘Finn is at the next stage of his career and is a much more mature fly-half than when he first turned professional. You can tell how much he has come on from the way he played so well for Scotland during the autumn Test matches and how he bossed games.

‘Saturday is another big step for him against a top player but he is ready and I am confident he can do well.’

They have met before of course, two years ago at Murrayfield when Scotland lost 26-14 to New Zealand. Russell, playing only his fourth Test match, was totally overshadowed by the All Black legend, who strolled through his 102nd cap. But times have changed. Carter, now 34, has called time on an international career that gathered an astonishing 112 caps. Russell, still only 24, has still to reach his prime.

‘I think it is fair to say Finn has a lot of similar attributes to Dan Carter which is among the highest compliments you can get,’ continued Townsend (below). ‘He has a really good running game. The way he attacked the opposition line for Scotland during the autumn Tests was excellent and, like Dan Carter, he doesn’t lack confidence to do that.

‘He has a very intelligent kicking game like Carter and also is a very good defender, and he loves that side of the game which some people may not realise.

‘This is their first head to head at fly-half since that international match and Finn is really looking forward to it.

‘When we played Racing 92 in Europe last year I played Finn at 12 and Duncan Weir was at ten but having him at ten for this game is a great chance for him to get the better of a player he is very similar to in style.

‘It wasn’t until I was close to 30 when I had built up my knowledge of the game and fully started anticipating things better so Finn has time on his side to get even better.

‘He is already showing a great maturity on the park for his years and you have to be confident enough to know that mistakes will be made and to just keep going. Finn is just that sort of player, he lets nothing bother him.

‘He will be making between 50 and 100 decisions on the ball today, so there will be errors but that is all part of the learning process. It is easier nowadays for a ten to learn things and improve as he is working with analysts more and Finn is certainly picking up things a lot more quickly than I did at this stage of his career. ‘For him against Racing 92, and in future, it is about using and

continuing to build up the bank of knowledge he has and knowing what tactic to use at crucial moments.

‘Carter has had that attribute for years and Finn knows how to do that as well but maybe doesn’t have the experience of doing that at the highest level.’

There is a lot more to the quality of this Glasgow side than just Russell of course with the strength of players around him increasing Townsend’s hopes that a shock could be on the cards.

He has all his Scotland international players available again, with captain Jonny Gray having a vital role to play in the line-out. He will be up against his former Glasgow team-mate Leone Nakarawa, who passed a fitness test on his injured shoulder.

Italian international Simone Favaro gives more bite in the back row while Henry Pyrgos, who missed the whole of Scotland’s autumn Tests with a knee injury, returns to a strong looking Glasgow bench.

‘Leone did his shoulder in the act of scoring last week but has been passed fit to play and we know how dangerous he can be,’ said the Warriors head coach.

‘We know his strengths and on top of that the guys get really motivated against former players and their reaction to Leone will not be any different and they will want to do really well up against him.

‘He is a top player who can do some damage, so we have to make sure we stay on top of him at all times.’

GLASGOW WARRIORS: Hogg; Seymour, Dunbar, Johnson, Jones; Russell, Price; Reid, Brown, Fagerson, Swinson, Gray (capt), Harley, Favaro, Wilson.

Replacements: Flynn, Allan, Puafisi, Alainu’uese, Strauss, Pyrgos, Bennett, Lamont.

“The pair have a lot of similar attributes”