Fly-half on throwing himself into life at Bath without a break after France 2023 and inspiring teammates to be attack-minded
Modern rugby does not always trust its greatest showmen. As Danny Cipriani and Quade Cooper can testify it is often a lonely road for creative fly-halves with ambitions beyond an average coach’s imagination. Which is why it is so good to see a cheerful Finn Russell illuminating the bleak midwinter with a little pre- Christmas sparkle, a smiling artist adding deft splashes of vivid colour to a monochrome canvas.
The marriage between the Scottish muse and his new club Bath was far from certain to work. Even Russell wasn’t sure whether he and his South African director of rugby, Johann van Graan, renowned as a forward-oriented coach, would be on the same wavelength. Happily for all concerned the 31-year-old playmaker has settled right in and been the catalyst for a collective surge in confidence alongside the River Avon.