Finn Russell will take on Northampton in Saturday's Premier League final, hoping to inspire Bath to their first title in 28 years. Photo: David Rogers/Getty Images
Critics of the Premier League often describe it as an over-the-top competition, but Finn Russell's arrival at Bath has irrefutably lived up to expectations.
He led his new club to the Premier League final while challenging ordinary moments of magic in almost every game. The hype and its attractive price were justified. Now Northampton Saints represent the last obstacle between him and the Premier League trophy.
The 31-year-old Scotland midfielder and what he does on the pitch remain a mystery, perhaps due to his reputation as a free-spirited personality. Opposition players and coaches who tested Russell in an attempt to undo him all talk of intricate details.
«A lot of it had to do with his deception,» explains Sale Sharks scrum-half Gus Warr. who faced Russell and Bath in the semi-final last Saturday. “You're constantly looking at the back nine and 10 and their body language to see if it gives anything away. The great thing about Finn is that he seems completely uninterested.
“He will look the wrong way coming from the back rows. He then returns against the field, kicking across the field or when other defenders play him. Another thing is that he never dies with the ball. There were a couple of times in the second half at the weekend when you thought you had him and he unloaded to continue the attack. /> Russell «never dies with the ball»; Photo: David Rogers/Getty Images
Subtle but deliberate movement, even before a pass is received, destroys entire defensive structures. And while many people talk about how Russell balances risk and reward, he also puts his competitors in a difficult position.
“Traditionally, the third back would be opposite the 10,” says one source who has met Bath this season. “Russell is always moving, so by the time he catches the ball he will be right in front of your fourth defender. This is very different from [Danny] Cipriani, [Owen] Farrell or [George] Ford, who are usually completely straightforward and help you because they remain honest.
“Russell is a little unconventional and that means your third defender will look up and see him, look back to see the pass and then look again and say, 'Oh my gosh.' Where did he go?» This creates complete chaos because often neither of your two most important defenders has any idea who is covering him. You can't attack him because he wants you to; he's trying to force your fourth defender to step outside and leave a big hole on the outside. But you have to go and get it.
“If you put maximum pressure on him from the inside, he can make mistakes, especially if you put him on the floor with the ball. Handre Pollard, Farrell and Ford won't make mistakes if they play well. Marcus Smith is somewhere in the middle. Russell will make mistakes even if he plays well… although he will have more wonderful, amazing moments.»
«His kicking game is much more unconventional than any other number ten»
Alex Goode knows all about these interferences . In October, having been charged with an early Saracens try, Russell sent Tom de Glanville into the break with an extraordinary offload. Cameras captured Goode puffing out his cheeks as the Bath defender struck. Three-and-a-half years ago, with five minutes remaining in a tense European Cup final, Russell's right-hander freed Virimi Vakatawa before Juan Imhoff went down.
«What was it like?» Good recalls. “I thought we did an incredible job on him. For 75 minutes we forced him to remain silent, neutralized the chips, and repelled the blows. Then he gets hit once and that makes all the difference. The hardest part is that his hitting game is much more unconventional than any other 10.
“He doesn’t sit in the pocket and give a lot of clues. He might run the ball and then decide he’s going to hit it out of bounds. That makes it tough because it’s not always a turnover. It could be a wobbler, a spiral. It’s a last-minute decision and the defense isn’t ready. You’re thinking, ‘He’s running it,’ and you’re flattered. Then, bam, he hits it and it’s in space. It bounces twice and then you’re under pressure.”
Russell's unorthodox kicking game can catch opponents in their tracks, having dealt with him well for 75 minutes. Northampton like to keep a lot of players up front. Sale went into The Rec with that weapon in mind, as well as a double bluff.
«We've been concentrating on his attacking shots,» Warr adds. «[But sometimes] he looks like he's going to take a shot before he plays a flat, sharp pass into three defenders wide, where the guys who think they've got the chip on their shoulder have already turned slightly. He's prepared for anything because he doesn't give anything away until the very last minute.»
'Defending him has to be a team effort, otherwise you're f**ked'
Wales and Saracens center Nick Tompkins stands by his view. “There are players in the Premier League who move like animals; absolute beasts to fight. Finn just slides. Each time, he seems to lull the defenders inside into a false sense of security. He will pump up the ball, using it as a weapon, and then pass or unload. The guys [defending] on the inside just fall asleep completely. Defending him has to be a team effort, otherwise you're screwed.”
Only six players — five scrum-halfs and Owen Farrell — took more kicks than Russell. in this premiership campaign. As the last meeting in the Calcutta Cup showed, he is biding his time. And does his homework.
“I think his game has adapted a little bit over the last couple of years,” Goode adds. “What I see most now is that he doesn’t overplay his hand as much. He's still pushing the envelope, but his decisions about when to go for the big play and when to stick with the percentages have changed a bit.
“Talk to any guy from Scotland and they'll tell you he's someone who does a lot of analysis. Finn seems to be building relationships and rapport with people. We've seen this over the years with Blair Kinghorn, Stuart Hogg, Vakatawa and Huw Jones. His forwards are always ready for it. Ollie Lawrence now makes flat misses like Vakatawa at Racing when Russell throws the ball over.
“It's the preparation, communicating with these players, going through and showing them what he needs them to do and where he needs them. get there if he does something. In that regard, I think he's definitely matured a lot.»
Opposition coaches in the Premier League have been known to analyze Russell's performances through tight camera angles. Some say Bath's attacking system is «probably as similar to Leinster or Ireland as you can imagine» because it depends on Russell and his constant communication with the runners clustered around him in tight formations.
“When the ball makes contact, he doesn’t do that,” the source says. “He looks exclusively up and out. It's a constant dialogue about what's next. Apparently, four or five attackers nearby know what a challenge is. Then he has four or five solutions to choose from, maybe six if you count his own running game — a pass inside, two outside, one behind, a kick into space and a run.
< p>“On each At this point he seems to be offering himself several options. His foot speed also gives him more time. He never plays sprint. When he's on the ball, he's just above walking.
“I think he and Marcus Smith are the best two in the world, or at least in the northern hemisphere, at seeing something and pulling a rabbit . from a hat. But this will depend on everything he has done beforehand; setting up teammates and passing the ball through defenders.”
If and when Russell does baffle the Saints with his brilliance in the final, know that technical excellence and intuition laid the foundation.
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