Latest news with #FinnRussell
ABC News
20 hours ago
- Sport
- ABC News
British and Irish Lions fly half Finn Russell on the calmness he feels ahead of the series finale
There's always been something about Finn Russell that sets him apart. Oftentimes, it's his manner on the field, a sense that he is seeing things a little bit quicker than those around him. A darting run here, a no-look pass there, a chip kick out wide that catches half the crowd wondering what he has seen that they have not. It is a flickering of brilliance that surrounds him whenever he gets the ball in his hands. He is Scotland and the Lions' chief conductor, a maestro of rare talent, directing his Lions across the field with the confidence that only comes from the experience and self-belief that abounds from the 32-year-old. But in the bowels of the MCG after the dramatic, last-gasp second Test victory, Russell stood out for other reasons. One, he was wearing a Wallabies jersey at least three sizes too small for him — it was Tom Lynagh's, who professed to being a little starstruck when they opposed each other in the first Test. Two, he had a garland of Caramilk Wallabies around his neck, provided by Bundee Aki. "I think it's from Tonga," Russell said, by way of explanation. "My daughter's been eating the chocolates," he added, a wry grin on his face. Even in a nondescript, breeze-blocked corridor, Russell finds a way to stand out. Completing a series victory with a game to play is huge for Russell, the continuation of a superb 2024/25 season where he has shrugged aside the one thing that had perhaps counted against him when his name was mentioned among the game's greats — a lack of trophies. Scotland have improved out of sight since he made his senior international debut in late 2014, with the side finishing bottom of the Six Nations ladder the following spring without a win. A winless Championships has not happened since, but the Scots have still struggled to challenge the big boys of Europe, with an average finishing position of fourth. A lack of trophies has followed him domestically, too, be it with Glasgow Warriors or Racing 92. But that changed when he moved to Bath, with whom he won the Premiership/Premiership Rugby Cup double, as well as the European Challenge Cup. Now, in his third Lions tour, Russell has finally tasted success with a touring side — and as the side's undisputed number one stand-off. "This year has been a very special year for myself," Russell said at the MCG. "We won a couple of titles in Bath and I've not won much in my career, so to have won two with Bath and then this now, it's amazing. It's so special." Russell has been at the heart of everything the Lions have achieved on tour. In the first Test, in Brisbane, it was the laconic Scot pulling the strings with a skill and speed that the under-prepared Wallabies simply had no answer to. The Lions' opening try was a case in point: A darting run past one marker. An offload out of contact to release the man on his right. A floating pass all the way over three dumbfounded Wallaby defenders for Sione Tuipulotu to score. It was textbook brilliance. In Melbourne, it was different, but Russell was still there, crafting a complicated puzzle that eventually paid off. After the Wallabies scored their first points of the game, Russell gave the hosts a reminder that you simply cannot take your eyes off him, getting to halfway and punching a restart over the retreating defenders into the corner. It was a reminder that, even if things were not going his way, the mercurial Scot had the capacity to simply will something into being. As the game progressed, the Wallabies showed they were no longer the inert, overwhelmed squad who were cowed by the might of the British Isles' best. The hosts had come out firing. So Russell, without the plentiful ball he had enjoyed in Brisbane, made his impact in other ways, namely via some massive kicks out of hand to put the Lions on the front foot. "It's something I've been working for a little bit on this tour, especially in terms of getting that ball as far to their tryline as possible," Russell said. "I had a few nice kicks today, which is good, and I think it's kind of my job. If I can get that as close as possible to the line, then we can launch different attacks off that. "We can have a quick chat before the penalty [about] what we think and I'll say let's see where the kick goes, but if I miss it, it's OK. It's kind of confidence to myself that I can execute." The Lions needed that degree of confidence and composure to fight back from 18 points down — the largest deficit the Lions have ever recovered from in a Test match — to score a winning try in the final seconds. Russell and his scrum half Jamison Gibson-Park were everywhere in that final passage of play, pulling those strings and ensuring the Lions got their magic moment. The Scotsman was adamant there was nothing wrong with Jac Morgan's "textbook" clear-out from his vantage point next to the ruck and, although he would not commit to saying the series-sealing victory was the greatest moment of his career so far, he was thrilled to be on the winning side. "I think everyone here has been gunning for it their whole career," Russell said in Melbourne. "To get to the Lions is one thing, and then to get a series win is another. "This is now effectively my third tour, [and I've] not won one. So it's so special to get this. "It's a mad journey but you've got to appreciate every part of it. "You can't look back and think, had I not been injured in South Africa, I had been called out before and in New Zealand … you can't look like that. You've got to just look at the positives. "It's always a privilege getting called into the Lions, whether it's later on in the tour, or having been there from the start. "So I think just being here, taking part in my third tour … the most important thing is to win it and now we've done that, it's now making sure we finish it off as well." Russell said the entire team was calm in the final moments: "There was no stress … we knew what we had to get it done," Russell said. It is that calmness that has developed in his career. "It's like I'm calm, if that makes sense," Russell said. "Every game is kind of the same. It's 15-on-15, and obviously, there's different things on the line every game, whether that's winning to get points for Bath to get into that top two or top four, whether it's winning here to build the prep for the next Test. Every game is different, but it's preparing the same every week. "And I think, for me, I'm loving my rugby just now. I'm usually always loving it, but especially just now. "This season's been amazing, last season as well. I think I'm just, yeah, loving it. "It's hard to kind of put into words … some boys might say that's the most confident I've been in and I'm playing my best rugby and whatnot, which may be true, it may not be, I don't know." Given he is playing some of the best rugby in the world at the moment, surely he will play the final Test, even if the series is not on the line any more? "I think everyone wants to play in that game," he said. "If we can make it a 3-0 series, that will be amazing. "I think it will be a brilliant occasion for everyone playing. Bringing four nations together to be a family for 5–6 weeks and to get the series win's amazing, but the job's still not done yet. "We need to go and try and finish it off next week, even though we got the series, we need to go and finish it off and finish on a high."
BBC News
a day ago
- Sport
- BBC News
'Job not done' for Lions despite series victory, says Russell
Finn Russell says "the job is not done" for the British and Irish Lions as they hunt down a series whitewash. Andy Farrell's men held their nerve to overcome Australia 29-26 in the second Test and clinch the series on Saturday. But Russell, and his teammates, are looking to finish with a 100 per cent record, a feat that has not been achieved since 1927. "Everyone here has been gunning for this for their whole career," Scottish fly-half Russell said of the series victory."To get to the Lions is one thing and then to get a series win is another."This is my third tour and I've not won one so it's special to get this, bringing four nations together to be a family for five, six weeks."So to get the series is amazing, but the job's still not done yet. We need to go and try and finish it off. "Even though we've got the series, we want to finish on a high. Everyone wants to play in that game."
BBC News
2 days ago
- Sport
- BBC News
Jorgensen and Frost back up 'bloody tough' Tizzano
Wallabies Max Jorgensen and Nick Frost have come out in support of team-mate Carlo Tizzano after the replacement flanker was at the centre of a decisive late call in the British and Irish Lions series-clinching second Test win in to win a turnover at the breakdown, Tizzano was cleared out by Jac Morgan in the final ruck before Hugo Keenan's game-winning incident was reviewed and cleared by the video official and his on-field team, however Australia coach Joe Schmidt claimed, with Tizzano having won the race to the ball, Morgan's solo clear-out above Tizzano's shoulder line, should have been a penalty awarded the Wallabies' fly-half Finn Russell said after the match that Tizzano had "tried to get a penalty" by going down holding his head."He's a bloody tough player and he really puts himself in tough positions for us constantly throughout the game and week in, week out," said Jorgensen of Tizzano."Carlo's a competitor, like he always is, He's trying to get the ball.. he's there first and he gets hit pretty hard with a full force clean-out," Frost added."It is what it is. We can't do anything about a decision…"
STV News
2 days ago
- Sport
- STV News
Russell warns Lions want to ‘finish on a high' with a series whitewash
Finn Russell insists the British and Irish Lions have arrived in Sydney for the final week of their Australia tour intent on completing a series whitewash over the Wallabies. The rivals delivered an all-time classic in the second Test at Melbourne Cricket Ground but it was Andy Farrell's men who held their nerve to emerge 29-26 winners. Now they are chasing the 100 per cent record Down Under that Farrell set as a pre-tour target – an achievement that has not been managed since the 1927 visit to Argentina. Russell, who started the celebrations wearing a chocolate garland given to some of the players by Sione Tuipulotu, views the looming Sydney Olympic Park showdown as a must win occasion. 'Everyone here has been gunning for this for their whole career. To get to the Lions is one thing and then to get a series win is another,' the Scotland fly-half said. 'This is my third tour and I've not won one so it's special to get this, bringing four nations together to be a family for five, six weeks. 'So to get the series is amazing, but the job's still not done yet. We need to go and try and finish it off. Even though we've got the series, we want to finish on a high. Everyone wants to play in that game.' Russell has been a key figure in the Lions' first series triumph since 2013, forging an influential half-back partnership with Jamison Gibson Park that has been among the tourists' greatest strengths. On current form the best fly-half in the game, the 32-year-old is finally getting the accolades that his talent deserves after piloting Bath to Gallagher Premiership, Challenge Cup and Premier Cup success in the recent club season. 'I've learned another style of rugby at Bath. It's a different style that's about getting control back because of the backs that we have to launch,' he said. 'It's changed the way I look at the game a little bit. On Saturday, we had a couple of calls on their 10 metre line and I'm looking at kick plays rather than launching straight away. 'I'm loving my rugby right now. Some of the boys might say it's the most confident I've been and it's my best rugby, which might be true, it might not. 'I've not won much in my career so to have won the titles at Bath and now this, it's amazing, it's so special.' Get all the latest news from around the country Follow STV News Scan the QR code on your mobile device for all the latest news from around the country
Daily Mail
2 days ago
- Sport
- Daily Mail
THREE WISE MEN: Epic second Test might just have saved Australia's future as a Lions destination (and avoiding a whitewash would help Wallabies, too)!
The Lions' incredible comeback to win the second Test against Australia and clinch the 2025 series will live long in the memory of all who watched it. Here, former Scotland captains ANDY NICOL and JASON WHITE join Mail Sport's deputy chief sports writer CALUM CROWE to discuss Australia's future as a Lions destination, Finn Russell 's place in the pantheon of Scottish rugby greats, and what we can expect from Andy Farrell's selection for the third and final Test in Sydney on Saturday. Q - What a comeback. What a Test match. What are your overall thoughts on how it panned out?
