IT’S A STROLL FOR RUSSELL
Just another day at the office as Scot shows no sign of strain to help Racing cruise to victory over Castres
YESTERDAY should have been anything but ordinary for Finn Russell, a player used to unusual and extraordinary events. In the end, though, it was very routine.
Days after walking out on his Scotland team-mates, he was back in club action for Racing 92, who had travelled south to face Top 14 rivals Castres Olympique. He had kept a suitably low profile in the days since his return from Scotland, leaving the media and the fans to their speculation.
If the rugby gods were listening, it should have been a defining game in a season of impressive performances in France for the Scot. One in which he unleashed everything in his box of tricks and showed Scotland what they would be missing in Dublin next weekend.
But said gods were paying no heed to narrative imperative here.
In the end, it was a damp squib of a game as Castres ran the gamut of basic errors and Racing gorged and grew fat on the easy pickings that followed.
No one — least of all Russell — could have known how easy this was going to be before kick-off. The genial grin that has lined his face while playing for Racing so far this season was noticeably absent as he went through his individual warm-up ahead of the match.
Although the smile had gone, replaced by a post-graduate standard study in rugby concentration, the tricks hadn’t. When he joined in team-drills, they were there — passes fizzing off left hand, right hand and from behind his back.
He looked like a player determined to make a very clear point to an audience of thousands at Stade PierreFabre. He seemed ready to unleash it all.
And conditions were near-perfect for Russell’s gung-ho game as, with his right leg well strapped, he kicked off shortly after 6pm, French time, as the floodlights took the load from the setting winter sun.
The start was slightly delayed as the crowd and former Castres’ players, now in Racing colours, passed on their wishes to 40-year-old club stalwart Karena Wihongi, who has hung up his boots for a second and final time.
But Russell’s aggressive style was unnecessary, as indisciplined, butter-fingered Castres gifted Racing the first half. Then they let Racing coast the second, the game lost.
Put it this way — Russell’s kit probably just needs a 15-minute refresh wash to be ready for his next outing in club colours.
Apart from a small cohort of Racing fans who had made the trip down, Stade Pierre-Fabre was fundamentally a Castres-only crowd. At first, they tried to make it difficult for the visitors, cheering rare home attacks and howling when refereeing decisions went against them, as they did with monotonous regularity. But it’s a nervous time for supporters of the 2018 champions.
Their club came into the game in 12th place, just three points above a survival play-off game.
They weren’t interested in Russell’s week. They were more concerned with their own performance, and that of referee Mathieu Raynal, who they increasingly believed was against them.
That suited Russell — and Racing — just fine.
For Russell, it was a thoroughly quiet game. That’s not to say he was AWOL. He just didn’t need to do anything special. Racing were 10-0 up inside 10 minutes, and 22-0 ahead after 33.
It was Russell who made the half break in the opening minute that set the tone. It was his simple, perfectly executed, trainingground pass to Brice Dulin that opened the try-scoring after eight minutes. And then he could sit back and enjoy the ride as Racing coasted, and Castres made it easy.
He did try a 55-metre shot at goal after the half-hour that fell short, but it scarcely mattered; especially as his pass opened up the hosts’ porous defence again for Dulin to score his second — and Racing’s third — three minutes later.
Racing had the game by the scruff of the neck. And Russell’s shorts were still dazzling white.
Seven minutes after half-time, it was done as a contest. Castres’ replacement Marc-Antoine Rallier jogged on, smashed into the head of a prone Anthonie Claassen at a ruck, and walked off again as referee Raynal reached straight for a justified red card. It was a stupid, dangerous thing to do. It was Castres’ performance in a nutshell.
By the end, Russell had managed to get his shorts a little dirty and give the kitman something to do, even though Racing had effectively stopped with the job done.
The smile was even back as he glad-handed team-mates on winning another penalty — with five minutes left on the clock and leading 27-0.
But whether the dismal challenge Castres scarcely managed to mount warranted any kind of personal satisfaction at his performance was another question entirely.
Because, frankly, it was just too easy.
FINN RUSSELL last night insisted he is ‘just a phone call away’ for any international team-mates looking for advice in the run-up to the Six Nations opener against Ireland in Dublin.
Scotland’s star fly-half departed Gregor Townsend’s training camp last week following what team officials have described as a ‘breach of protocol’.
It has been reported that he failed to turn up for training last Monday after spending the previous evening drinking in the team hotel.
However, after guiding French club side Racing 92 to a crushing win at Top 14 rivals Castres, Russell said: ‘I want the best for the boys. If there’s anything they need, I’m here to bounce ideas off. ‘I’m always just a phone call away.’ He revealed he will watch the game and will look out in particular for close friend Adam Hastings, adding: ‘I’ll maybe try to catch up with Hasto on the phone to see how he’s getting on, as this will be his first Six Nations start.’
But Russell declined to offer his view of the events of last week. When