Rennie sure Russell can find spark from bench

GLASGOW WArrIOrS head coach Dave rennie has thrown down the gauntlet to underperforming Scotland star Finn russell after dropping him to the bench for tonight’s vital Guinness Pro14 clash with Connacht.

racing 92-bound russell struggled to find consistency during the recent Six Nations and has continued to look out of sorts since returning to the Scotstoun side. And rennie hopes that leaving him out of the starting line-up will have a galvanising effect on the man who is widely regarded as one of the best stand-offs in the world.

The Kiwi, who has handed the No 10 jersey to Peter Horne this evening, admitted that he needs russell to be firing on all cylinders if Glasgow are to stand any chance of being crowned league champions.

‘To win it, we need Finn playing at his best,’ said rennie. ‘He is a special player and he is desperate to leave this club at the end of the season with another title.

‘He was a couple of shades off last weekend (in the defeat to Scarlets in Wales). We are going into the business end of the season and I want the players to understand that, regardless of reputation, we are just going to play guys we think will do the job for us.

‘You are judged by your performance and judged by your preparation. If guys don’t perform as expected, you have two options as a coach. You give them another crack or you apply pressure by showing confidence in others.

‘We have lots of competition for places and Finn has had a pretty good run of it with Scotland, starting every game.

‘I don’t think he is jaded after the Six Nations. Finn is casual at the best of times. He doesn’t seem to get too rattled when things aren’t going well for him.

‘Look, it’s not easy for the Scotland players to fit straight back in after the Six Nations and that’s why we didn’t rush them in.

‘I’m confident that we will see a better performance off the bench from Finn against Connacht.’

rennie sees Horne as a safe pair of hands and expects him to go head-to-head with Adam Hastings for the No10 jersey next season when russell makes his move to France.

‘I have a lot of confidence in Peter,’ said the New Zealander whose team will secure a home Pro14 semi-final if they beat Connacht. ‘His attention to detail is excellent and he is very professional in his preparation. He needs more time in the seat at ten.

‘There is every chance he will play a lot of footy next season for us in that position along with Adam Hastings, who has been really good, as well.’

Alex Dunbar returns to the centre from injury alongside Sam Johnson, but the glaring omission for the second week running is Scotland centre Huw Jones, who doesn’t even make the bench.

He remains a proven scorer, and in just 16 games for Scotland has scored ten touchdowns, but has dropped out of the Warriors reckoning at a vital stage of the season.

‘No, Huw is not injured,’ said rennie. ‘It’s just that we have good depth in midfield.

‘I think Sam Johnson has probably been our best midfielder throughout the year and you have to find a place for him going into the business part of the season.

‘That leaves four other internationals to fill the other spot. Alex Dunbar has recovered from injury and is good to go, so it’s tough for Huw Jones, who is among the players left out.

‘He’s had a really good attacking campaign for Scotland and he’s certainly a high-quality finisher. He is working really hard on his defensive game and training hard, and he might get a chance next week against Edinburgh but it’s hard to fit them all in.

‘As a team, we have to up our game this week as it was a pretty flat performance against Scarlets. We created opportunities but lacked accuracy; converting just one of seven line breaks.

‘Against quality sides, you get punished for not taking your chances and we can’t let that happen against Connacht.’