PARIS MATCH
Finn Russell on how he is enjoying the quiet life in French capital
LIFE is simple for Finn Russell at the moment. He lives alone on the outskirts of Paris. It is an uncomplicated existence, free from distraction and the lavish lifestyle that would typically be associated with a young man of such vast personal wealth, supreme talent, and good looks.
It is a sharp departure from the life he led in Glasgow.
It was always fun and games sharing a flat with Ali Price, where, in an interview with Sportsmail earlier this year, the pair posed with a motorbike in the middle of their living room. Things are different now.
Russell’s main source of entertainment is a games console. He will not allow his career to be sabotaged by the pitfalls that come with living in one of the most glamorous and socially hectic cities in the world.
It has all been a step into the unknown. But, reflecting on his first few months in the French capital, Russell now wouldn’t have it any other way. The simplicity he now has in life is, as it turns out, exactly the way he likes it.
And while he is now the highest-paid Scottish player in history, earning in the region of £700,000 at Racing 92, to suggest his move to the Parisian club was dictated purely by finance is a line which contains far more cynicism than truth.
‘At Glasgow, I was so comfortable with life, it was becoming repetitive almost,’ says Russell, with a nod to the fact that he has most definitely taken himself out of his comfort zone.
The money is nice. That goes without saying. But his ambition to better himself as a player and as a person soon punts it into touch. It’s not about the money.
As he continues to acquaint himself with his new surroundings, there have been times when he has struggled. Not so much on the pitch, but in the various cafes, bistros and eateries.
‘I ordered liver once — I don’t like liver!’ he laughs, still getting to grips with the language. ‘I ordered that by accident, but it hasn’t been too bad all in all.
‘If I go to a restaurant, I can ask for a couple of tables, the problems come when they start asking questions back. That’s when I get lost. I still eat out most nights to try to speak French and even hear it. We get lessons twice a week at the club, which is really good. I’m in the beginners group.
‘I kind of went through a phase where I just watched TV or played the Playstation and ordered things in, so I thought I better start eating out.
‘I thought about cooking. But, as I’m by myself, by the time I go out and buy all the bits needed, I may as well go out and eat as it costs like 18 euros for food. So I didn’t want to waste food!
‘My diet has changed a lot, I think I eat a lot more bread and pasta over there, maybe not so many sweets.
‘The Scotland boys are having a laugh and asking me how many baguettes I’m eating, but it’s just the lifestyle over there. My weight has come down, so I must be doing something right.’
His fortunes on the pitch have been altogether more successful than on the dining front.
He scored two tries in a personal haul of 20 points on his debut for Racing against Toulon, was duly named man of the match, and has since played a starring role in the Champions Cup.
‘Even if I had had a bad start,’ he explains, ‘I don’t think they would have said: “Get him out, get someone else in”. It’s a great club, everyone has your back.’
When Russell’s departure from Glasgow was confirmed last year, SRU chief executive Mark Dodson said: ‘He is a superstar, so let him go and earn superstar money.’
He is certainly doing that. But there is no superstar lifestyle. Russell is not there for a jolly. There is a growing maturity in Scotland’s premier fly-half.
For a man who grew up in Bridge of Allan, just a stone’s throw away from the Wallace Monument and Stirling Castle, Russell could have developed into a bit of a culture vulture.
But he has yet to visit the Eiffel Tower. The same applies to the Louvre. All the touristy stuff can wait.
Asked why he has yet to indulge in any sight-seeing, he responds: ‘I am there to do a job.’
It is said with clear authority. There is a single-mindedness to Russell now. A clear focus which was evident in last weekend’s demolition of Fiji.
He gave a very un-Finn Russell performance. Clean and accurate in everything he did, it was a display of maturity from the fly-half with which Scotland fans were previously unacquainted.
The moments of skills were, of course, still there. But it was a display unblemished by the kind of harum-scarum errors that, on occasion, made Russell such a frustrating player in the past.
‘I’m learning a slightly different style of rugby and have had to adapt to new
situations,’ says the 26-year-old. ‘I’ve had to establish myself as a player at ten, the decision-maker who controls the game.’ Asked what he has learned about himself so far, Russell responds: ‘I’ve learned that I like the Playstation a lot more! There’s a lot of time to kill.’ Fortnite and Call of Duty are understood to be two favourites. But there is a depth to Russell. It becomes evident when he speaks about the life he left behind in Scotland. ‘There haven’t been too many free weekends because my family and friends have been over. The longest I’ve had without anyone is a week or ten days. ‘When family and friends are over, they see the sights and go into town. But if I have a game to get ready for, I don’t really go with them. Walking around for a full day can tire you out before a game. I haven’t see that much of Paris yet, but if friends and family are over, I’ll take them out for a nice meal after the game.
‘I think it is good having my own space. Back in Glasgow, there was always people in the flat with Ali (Price), my wee sister and Emma (girlfriend) being there most nights.
‘Over in France, it’s good to have my own space and do what I want to do. I can lie and do nothing some nights if I want to.
‘I just turn on the Playstation and talk to the boys on there and it is like I have never been away.
‘I am just at a different stage of life and I think it is good because I can worry about me and what I need to do to get things right for training or the match at the weekend.
‘I don’t mind living away and then coming back for a few weeks with Scotland. It keeps things fresh.’
The new-found maturity in Russell is obvious and it is something from which Scotland will hope to profit against South Africa tomorrow.
Price, it should be said, is still one of his best mates on and off the pitch. The smell of petrol fumes in the living room, though, are thankfully a thing of the past.