Russell's Lions snub buried by Sexton as ex-rivals address elephant in the room

Daily Mirror

6 hours ago

Johnny Sexton has got himself a job on the Lions coaching staff and will have to work with Finn Russell - a player he described as "flashy" and snubbed when asked to pick his fly-half
Johnny Sexton had claimed he'd pick Owen Farrell to be the British and Irish Lions fly-half before he was called onto the coaching ticket and tasked with working with Finn Russell - who he previously described as "flashy".
The Scotland half-half has just claimed the Premiership title with Bath and is tipped to lead the Lions attack, although strong competition exists in Fin Smith and Marcus Smith. Sexton, nearly two years post-retirement, is on the coaching staff and will aid the 10s.
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That means working with Russell and there had been tipped to be animosity between the pair given Sexton's assessment of the Scot and an admission that he'd have Farrell - who isn't even on the tour - as his fly-half.
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In an effort to put that issue to bed Sexton and Russell have had a chat with the Irishman claiming his comments were "blown out of proportion" as he prepares to work with the Bath star.
He said: 'We had a handshake and a brief chat. What the Lions demands of you is that if there is a rivalry – which there's not but if there was – you leave it at the door. I'm here to help him now. I'm here to give him experiences and answer questions. I'm not here to force myself on him or tell him what to do.
'I'm an inexperienced coach but I've probably seen it all, rugby-wise: I've been bad, I've been dropped, I've been injured. My career has been like this [up and down].'
Russell has previously been described as a maverick player such is his willingness to push the envelope and try things, rather than stick to a system. His poor record for Scotland against Ireland has also been bought up, but the 32-year-old admitted previously that he wasn't bothered by Sexton's assessment of him.
He told the Telegraph: 'It doesn't annoy me at all. I have never really got to know Johnny. I was out on the 2017 tour but apart from that we have never really had any crossover even in that short time. He was getting ready for the Tests and I was getting ready for the midweek games. I really don't know him that well.
'When you play against someone, there's obviously a competition and a kind of rivalry. He'll have his opinion of me and I'll have mine of him. If he has any comments on me, I am not too stressed about it.'
No Irish fly-halves made the cut with Jack Crowley and Sam Prendergast overlooked. It means Sexton having to impart his wisdom on Scottish and English tens, but there are 16 Ireland players in the squad with Sexton defending the record number of call-ups.
'Well, Ireland have done pretty well over the last few years, having won the [ Six Nations ] championship last year, the Grand Slam the year before, so you're probably looking over the last three years,' he said. 'They know the way Andy coaches, they know the system. It didn't surprise me because, historically, let's say when there was a Welsh coach and the Welsh team did well, there were the majority of the Welsh team."