"Hiding" - Finn Russell behaviour against Italy slammed, labelled a 'bottler'

RUCK’s 2024 Guinness Six Nations content 

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Paolo Garbisi’s early kick catapulted the hosts into a commanding lead, only for Scotland to mount a spirited response with tries from Zander Fagerson and Kyle Steyn. Yet, the pendulum swung swiftly as Ignacio Brex notched a try for Italy within the opening quarter-hour.

Despite Pierre Schoeman’s valiant effort to keep Scotland in the game before halftime, Italy’s Louis Lynagh and Stephen Varney extended their lead with crucial tries. Even though Garbisi faltered with a missed conversion, his subsequent penalty sealed Scotland’s fate, despite a late surge led by Sam Skinner.

The aftermath was fraught with criticism, with Scotland's star player, Finn Russell, bearing the brunt of the fans' ire. Disappointed supporters took to social media to vent their frustrations, lambasting Russell for what they perceived as his absence in crucial moments.

"One fan lamented, 'Finn Russell has gone into hiding when his country needs him most,' echoing the sentiment of many who questioned his performance in the decisive stages of the match. Another remarked on Russell's apparent disappearance in the second half, highlighting a perceived pattern in high-stakes encounters.

A third commented, 'I have said it before but in big games or at key moments in Scotland matches, Finn Russell goes missing. He's brilliant with the wind at his back and his pack on the front foot but when he doesn't have it, he hides. He's been anonymous in the second half.'

Another said, 'Russell's body language as a captain is actually horrendous,'

The disappointment was palpable as fans expressed disillusionment with Russell's performance, with some even questioning his status as a top-tier player. Despite the accolades heaped upon him in the past, Russell found himself under intense scrutiny, with critics branding him as overrated and lacking the mettle to excel in pivotal moments.

As Scotland grapples with the aftermath of their devastating loss, the spotlight remains firmly fixed on Finn Russell, whose performance has become emblematic of the team's collective disappointment. Whether he can bounce back from this setback and reclaim his status as a talismanic figure for Scotland remains to be seen.

Under these new regulations, players can become eligible to represent another nation if they refrain from Test rugby for three years and have a birth connection to the desired country or through a parent or grandparent.

While the decision to switch national teams remains speculative, there are five players who could be considering such a move. Additionally, there are other notable names, such as Sam Underhill and Manu Tuilagi, who could also potentially swap nations. Underhill could opt for the USA, while Tuilagi may consider representing Samoa, given their respective birthplaces.

Furthermore, the Vunipola brothers, Mako and Billy, might contemplate switching to Tonga, the birthplace of their father, under these new eligibility laws.

The Leicester Tigers winger, who was given his debut by Borthwick in 2023, has expressed his willingness to potentially represent Wales in 2026.

Despite earning two caps for England during last year's Six Nations, the 25-year-old hasn't been included in Steve Borthwick's squad since then. Notably, he was absent from England A's recent triumph over Portugal.

Ahead of this year's Six Nations, Gatland had mentioned Hassell-Collins several times, especially during the discussion surrounding another dual-qualified winger, Immanuel Feyi-Waboso.

“I have seen Gatland’s interview,” Hassell-Collins told the Telegraph.

“I’ve got two caps for England, and obviously I’m English. But if I don’t see anything in the next few years then it’s definitely something that I would consider.

“I would qualify [for Wales] the year of the World Cup – that is, if he still wants me. Wales is still part of who I am.

"My grandma was Welsh and I still have family over there. It’s still a part of me – and I’d never turn it down – but for now it’s England for me.”

Lynagh, the Treviso-born son of Australia great Michael who also played for the Italian club in the 1990s, quit Harlequins to join Italian club Benetton a couple of weeks ago with the aim of representing the Azzurri.

The 23-year-old was called up by England under Eddie Jones but failed to win a cap and has been overlooked completely by Steve Borthwick since he took over in December 2022.

Lynagh is part of a 33-man group named by Italy technical commissioner Gonzalo Quesada for the clash in Lille on February 18.

On confirming his move to United Rugby Championship high-flyers Benetton, Lynagh said: “It’s been a difficult decision to leave my boyhood club but I feel the time is right for a new challenge in Italy.

“I have lived in England since I was four-years-old, but Italy and Treviso have always been in my heart.

“My father played a fundamental role not only in my rugby career, but also in my life. He always wanted the best for me and always agreed with every decision I made.

“He told me that playing in Treviso will be the best for me and my style of rugby.”

When asked if he'd be open to swapping nations, he told Rugby Pass: “Yes, 100 per cent,”

He added: “I’m just focusing purely on Black Rams and just playing as well as I can and letting the selectors do their job.

“The coaches and their staff are all in Europe at the moment and I’m not sure when they will be coming to Japan. We’ll wait until the day comes.

"If he picks me, we will make the decision then, but we have got two more games to go (at Black Rams) and we are trying to finish as high as we can up the table and go from there.”

Making waves in the Top 14 and Europe with Montpellier, Mercer pulling on the famous All Black jersey would be as shocking a switch of nationality that the game has ever seen. 

Described as ‘fat and lazy’ by England boss Eddie Jones before his international debut in 2018, this would be the ultimate way to prove the Aussie wrong.

The only drawback to the switch is to become eligible for New Zealand he’d have to join one of their Super Rugby sides.

Despite being snubbed by Borthwick for both Rugby World Cup and Six Nations rosters, Mercer, son of Gary who earned 21 caps for New Zealand in rugby league, could still engineer an improbable transition.

Lozowski, who has an Italian grandmother, could take advantage of the new World Rugby rules surrounding eligibility. 

The Saracens star, who won the last of his six England caps in 2018, could swap with immediate effect following the rule change and was approached by former Italy boss Kieran Crowley on multiple occasions.

“I have been in contact. I haven’t personally been in contact with Paolo but he has been contacted,” Crowley said at the Six Nations launch last year.

“The other two [Lozowski and Lynagh] I have spoken to personally. They have made decisions at the moment that I respect. I support them. I’ll keep in contact with them. But certainly if they were available, we’d certainly be looking at them. They are all quality players.

“We will keep the lines of communication open. Not only with those three but there are a number of others as well.”

The other two players mentioned have since accepted Italy call-ups.

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Departing Wales prop Rhys Carre could qualify for England, Scotland and Ireland in 2026.

Cardiff confirmed on Wednesday that the 26-year-old will re-join Saracens next season, having spent a year at the English club following the 2019 World Cup. It's a blow for the Arms Park side, with the prop having been in fine form this season - scoring seven tries so far.

His 2023 Rugby World Cup hopes were ruled out after a brutal Welsh Rugby Union statement confirmed that the Cardiff prop had been released from Warren Gatland's squad after he "failed to meet individual performance targets set at the end of the 2023 Guinness Six Nations”.

ager to don the black jersey once more, Carre expresses his gratitude for the opportunity: “I’m thrilled to be back where it all began four years ago, ready to contribute to a squad with sky-high ambitions!”

Director of Rugby, Mark McCall, echoes the sentiment, stating, “We're delighted to have Rhys back in the fold. At 26, he's entering his prime, and we've witnessed firsthand his immense talent. With more experience under his belt, he's poised to unleash his full potential with us once again.”