Everything good that the Lions do on Saturday in the first Test against Australia will go through Finn Russell.
He’s the lynchpin, the man who can create something from nothing, and in the form of his life.
At 32 he’s just won a Treble with Bath. In the past, he’s fought with his Scotland coach Gregor Townsend and partied late into the night.
Now, he is entrusted with the shirt of Cliff Morgan, Jonny Wilkinson et al. The famous No 10 in red.
Going into this year’s Six Nations, Russell had work to do to nail down that Lions shirt, but he has grabbed it with authority Down Under.
But what makes him so special? How has he put his past behind him? And can he be the man to take the Lions to glory? Here, with unique insight, Mail Sport breaks down the secrets of flying Finn…
Scot Finn Russell will start a Lions test for the first time at the Suncorp Stadium on Saturday
He was part of the Bath side that won the treble, ending a 29-year wait for a Premiership trophy
In this year’s Six Nations, Russell lost his goalkicking mojo. Now he doesn’t look like missing
Mindset – by the rival coach
After Bath’s Premiership final defeat by Northampton last year, TV cameras picked Russell in conversation with his coach Johann van Graan.
‘We’ll just have to do it next year now,’ he said, showing no signs of having just suffered a heartbreaking loss. Russell has been criticised for this approach, for being too laidback, laissez faire. It’s nonsense.
For all Russell’s sporting talent, his mindset is one of his biggest strengths. His ability to stay relaxed amid the huge demands of elite sport allows him to play to his best.
‘When you see Russell play, he looks very, very relaxed on the field. I think that comes from the way he started the game,’ says Saracens backs coach Dai Flanagan. ‘What I like about Russell is his story: his background isn’t academy rugby but with Scottish club sides Stirling County, Falkirk and Ayr while working as a stonemason. He played club rugby for fun and he’s kept that approach even though he’s at the highest level.
‘How good is it that he’s like that with all the pressure that comes with international rugby? If he makes a mistake, Russell quickly moves on. He’s like an NFL quarterback – his mentality is always about the next play, not what’s happened before.’
Oh, and what happened in this year’s Premiership final? Russell’s premonition came true, with Bath winning the title for the first time in 29 years, adding it to this season’s European Challenge Cup and Premiership Rugby Cup.
Handling – by the predecessor
Russell’s sleight of hand is exceptional. It is what gives him time to unleash his brilliant passing game.
‘His accuracy brings people into play, gives them time on the ball, but also attracts defenders,’ says Dan Biggar, the most recent Lions No 10.
‘When I played against Finn with Wales, we always said do not fly up on him. That’s the worst thing you can do because you’re making his decision for him. If you just rush him, Finn will pick you off with his passing or step inside.
‘He has so much variety in his game that he almost wants defenders to come and smash him. Finn’s range is unbelievable – he has it all.
In the past Russell has been criticised for his approach, for being too laidback and laissez-faire
He joined Bath in 2023 after five years at Racing 92 and five at Glasgow Warriors before that
In the past, he’s fought with Scotland coach Gregor Townsend and partied late into the night
‘You don’t win many international games playing the way Finn used to. Finn used to have some incredible X Factor moments, but he’d also give some points away. The brilliance has stayed, but the big errors have come out. His game management is now excellent.’
Russell also marshals his backline expertly, allowing the likes of Huw Jones and Tommy Freeman to flourish. Crucially, he has trusted lieutenants with him, too.
He has struck up a formidable partnership with scrum-half Jamison Gibson-Park in the warm-up matches and today will have his two Scotland midfield partners next to him, Jones and Sione Tuipulotu.
Awareness – by the fellow Scotland icon
Russell has always been able to produce moments of outrageous brilliance. In 2018, his looping pass against England from his own 22 sent Jones into space and created a length-of-the-field Scotland try leaving England centre Jonathan Joseph clutching thin air.
A year later, playing for Racing 92, he nutmegged Munster’s Rory Scannell with a kick through for himself to score.
‘It was said for years that Finn is a maverick,’ says former Scotland captain, scrum-half and Mail Sport columnist Andy Nicol. ‘He was when he burst on the scene, but that is just wrong now.
Russell was included in Lions squads in South Africa and New Zealand but never started a test
The 32-year-old made his Scotland debut in 2014 and has made the last three Lions squads
‘At first, Finn tried things that other stand-offs wouldn’t even think of, so he got badged as “unorthodox”. He did things differently. He battled with his coach when he didn’t agree with the plan. He rallied against team guidelines when it came to drinking. He clearly had an independent mind. But that’s changed. Finn’s more mature and has developed into a more orthodox player, but one that can still do incredible bits of skill that no one else can. It’s the perfect balance.
‘What Finn does better than most stand-offs is scan what is happening in front of him, make a decision, and then execute. He can do all this when under severe pressure. His passing and kicking repertoire is such that he has the answer to whatever question is put in front of him. He makes the complex look very simple.’
Kicking – by the golfer
In this year’s Six Nations, Russell lost his goalkicking mojo. He missed three crucial shots against England, costing Scotland victory at Twickenham.
Now, Russell doesn’t look like missing. All goalkickers have their tricks and techniques – Wilkinson with his visualisations, Owen Farrell and his wide eyes tracking the ball’s route – but Russell, as ever, is a bit different.
‘Goalkicking and a golf swing have a lot similarities between them in the movement,’ says Russell, whose handicap is in the mid-teens. ‘The worst part of my golf game is that if there is a 350-yard par four, I’m going to try and drive the green. I’m always going to go for it. That’s the sort of golf I like to play.’
Russell will have ample opportunity to rack up points from the tee on this tour. The last time the Lions were in Australia, Leigh Halfpenny set new records for points in a Test (21 in the decider) and a series (49). Russell will have his sights on both of those, as well as compatriot Gavin Hastings’ overall Lions mark of 69.
He starts on 11, from four kicks out of four in the third-Test defeat in South Africa four years ago.
Another aspect of Russell’s progression has been his kicking from hand. It’s now a major weapon. His cross-kicks are a crucial part of the Lions’ armoury and expect him to try and find aerial expert Freeman with them today.
Russell had to work hard to prove that he deserved a Lions jersey heading into the Six Nations
The 32-year-old will have plenty of opportunities to rack up points from the tee on this tour
‘Coming to Bath, the mindset is different. Before, it was a lot of running and just play, play, play. I had to learn a new way of playing,’ Russell says. ‘When unpredictability comes into my game, it comes within a structure.’
Biggar, a Lions team-mate of Russell’s in 2021, adds: ‘Finn doesn’t see kicking as necessarily giving the ball away. He looks at it as a different way of being able to attack. It’s a tactic he uses to be offensive.’
Personality – by the reporter
In March, I left my Edinburgh hotel three hours before kick-off to go to the Six Nations match between Scotland and Wales.
To my surprise, Russell was in the lobby chatting with a friend over a coffee seemingly without a care in the world. You’d never have known that he was about to start an international match.
Russell isn’t one for pre-match nerves. It means he’s never phased by big moments and that helps the players around him. Russell has been known to train with the laces on his boots undone.
‘I’ve always got a smile on my face,’ he said last week. ‘Even though it’s the highest level, it’s still just a game of rugby and having a bit of fun. You have to enjoy the game. I’m 32 and I don’t know if I’m going to go on a tour like this again.’
In Australia, Russell has been joined by his partner Emma and two daughters Charlie and Skye, as well as both his parents. Family is now central to his life and since becoming a dad, his game has undoubtedly improved.
Lifestyle – by the Lions starting 10
In his younger days, Russell wasn’t always the most professional. He wasn’t afraid to celebrate big wins with a night out, especially while living in Paris playing for Racing.
While his work rate at training couldn’t be questioned, as he got older Russell realised things needed to change.
At the start of this season, Russell told Mail Sport: ‘In time off in the past I’d have gone on holiday and partied a fair bit. [But] I cook a lot more in the house because of the children now. Previously, me and my partner would eat out all the time.
‘The kids have changed my lifestyle. I feel I’m in the best shape I’ve ever been in. Usually around 25 is when you feel your best, but I feel I’m in a really good shape now. I’m probably as light as I’ve been in eight years.’
After some minor changes, Russell has been injury-free in his two years at Bath. He has impressed club staff with his professionalism and diligence. This wasn’t always the case. but he’s matured. He’s got older, wiser and better.
Russell said that he was in the best shape of his life, attributing it to his two children
Finn Russell has been joined by his partner Emma Canning and two daughters in Australia
Four years ago, he couldn’t usurp Biggar with the Lions and there was still a feeling that for all his magic, Russell mixed in too much of the ridiculous along with the sublime. Now, he is undoubtedly the best fly-half.
‘One thing that has not changed with Finn is his resilience,’ Nicol says. ‘When you play on the edge as much as he does, not everything will work. Mistakes will happen.
‘He’s always been brilliant at ignoring what just has happened and moving on. The 2025 version of Finn is the best we’ve seen. He still has all the ability, bravery and confidence a stand-off needs.
‘He now has experience and maturity. He is the full package.’
