The Press and Journal (Inverness, Highlands, and Islands)
Scot Russell savours his time to roar with Lions Fly half laps it all up after an offer he couldn’t refuse
Scotland internationals Allan Dell and Finn Russell have no regrets about joining the British and Irish Lions as mid-tour reinforcements.
The duo joined the Lions as part of coach Warren Gatland’s sixstrong mid-tour call-ups to ease the burden on the Test match squad.
Gatland’s decision has been criticised as devaluing the shirt, amid claims the players were selected on proximity ahead of merit.
Prop Dell and fly half Russell have been the only players called up to take to the field and all six left the camp yesterday after filling the replacements bench for the midweek games against the Chiefs and the Hurricanes.
Dell and Russell claimed no Scotland players rejected the Lions’ advances, despite rumours to the contrary, and jumped at the chance to join Gatland’s squad.
“I’m glad I came out here. I’d really regret not coming,” said Russell, who featured for five minutes as a temporary replacement for Dan Biggar in Tuesday’s 31-31 draw against Hurricanes.
“It’s a big chance. It might never happen again. I took it and made the most of it.
“We’ve only been here 10 days, it’s been so quick. We were on such a high after the Australia win for Scotland, then we were flown out and one thing rolled into the other.
“In time it will sink in what it really means to play for the Lions, once we’re back home and have a bit more time to think it through.
“For the players who were picked for the tour after the six nations, they had all the build-up, but for us it was a very quick turnaround.
“We just jumped straight in and gave it a go in a completely different environment.
“That’s tough, but it’s good fun, and it’s been a good experience.
“It’s a no-brainer that we came. I don’t think anyone would turn down the Lions. No one from Scotland said no and no one would.”
Russell and Dell joined the Lions straight after Scotland’s 24-19 win against Australia on Saturday, June 17.
Scotland head coach Gregor Townsend told the two Test players they had been called up on the team bus after their Wallabies win as Gatland also called in Kristian Dacey, Tomas Francis, Cory Hill and Gareth Davies from Wales, who were touring in New Zealand at the time.
The Lions coach was criticised for ignoring players from England, touring Argentina, and Ireland, in Japan, for requiring too much travel time to link up with his squad.
Russell and Dell remain proud of their exploits with the Lions, however, insisting they would not change their last two weeks.
Dell won a fine scrum penalty in a 10-minute cameo in the Lions’ 34-6 win against the Chiefs, slotting in after a yellow card for England forward Joe Marler.
Asked if accepting a Lions call was a simple decision, Dell replied: “Yes it is, you’d be crazy to say no. It’s something to jump at and could be a once in a lifetime opportunity.
“We’ve been privileged enough to receive that opportunity, and fortunate enough to get games. It wasn’t as much time as we would have liked, and we haven’t been able to show what we’re fully capable of, but it’s still fantastic.
“You’re just not going to say no to the Lions. It’s frustrating not to have had more game time, any
“It’s a once in a lifetime opportunity and no one would turn it down”
player would say that, but we’re privileged enough to have had those chances. That’s something we can take back and learn from.
“We didn’t come over wanting to just fill numbers, we’re professionals, and we wanted to prove and to show we deserved to be here.
“We understand we came in with a role and a job to do, and we’re more than happy to fill that job and be a part of it.
“We want to play, that’s why we play rugby.”
When quizzed on the social media rumours a Scotland player had rejected the Lions’ advances, Dell was glad to set the record straight.
“It’s a once in a lifetime opportunity and no one would turn it down,” said Dell, of joining the Lions in New Zealand.
“A career’s too short to turn down opportunities like this. Everyone’s entitled to their own opinions but we knew the truth of that all along.
“Reading things like that online didn’t really bother us. It’s a free world.”