There were some questions on how Finn Russell would settle into life in the English Premiership at Bath but the Scotland fly-half, like with most things, has taken the move cooly in his stride.
The British & Irish Lions playmaker has enjoyed a positive start to his time at The Recreation Ground and, with the 2024 Six Nations approaching, hopes north of the border will be that Russell can inspire something special for Scotland.
Russell Earning Admirers In The West Country
After impressing at Racing 92 in the physical world of the Top 14, Russell now appears to be enjoying life at Bath. The West Country outfit, who are 9/1 in the rugby union betting to win the Premiership Grand Final this season, have come on leaps and bounds since struggling last term. Bath managed just eight wins in their entire regular season campaign in the Premiership for 2022/23, while they have already won five of their first eight games this season.
With his calm manner sometimes masking a fierce competitive edge, Russell has been having a positive impact on the squad since moving to The Rec. The 31-year-old has been playing some of his best rugby in recent years and seems to be getting better with age. His unpredictable play continues to cause defences problems, while his game management is something that has progressed in the last couple of seasons. Seemingly also cutting down the high-profile errors that have drawn criticism at times from some quarters in the past, Russell is rightly regarded as one of the best fly-halves in the world game.
Scotland Crying Out For Success
With Russell a key figure, Scotland have themselves come on leaps and bounds since their struggles in the early 2000s. Finishing third in the 2023 Six Nations was a solid return for a side looking to narrow the gap on the frontrunners Ireland and France in the championship. However, having won the last Five Nations Championship back in 1999, the Scottish rugby public is desperate to see their side land a first Six Nations crown.
Scotland will have to find a way past an Ireland side that won the Grand Slam last season but will begin a new era after fly-half Johnny Sexton’s retirement. France will also be a force once again but they too might be without superstar scrum-half Antoine Dupont, who could miss the Six Nations to focus on the 2024 Olympics with the rugby sevens side. England showed signs of improvement to reach the semi-finals of the 2023 World Cup, while Wales are a team in transition after seeing a number of older heads moved on.
Scotland will be tired of being referred to as “dark horses” ahead of another Six Nations in 2024. After showing signs of potential and winning one-off big games, consistency is now the key for Gregor Townsend’s side. Russell has been showing consistent form at Bath and Townsend will be hoping his fly-half brings that to the party for the highly-anticipated Six Nations kicking off in February.
