"They’ve turned the corner" - Scotland's Finn Russell explains why he won't write off Wales for Six Nations clash

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Scotland are odds-on favourites with the bookies to hammer the Welsh, and are widely expected to dish out a sixteenth test defeat in a row for Matt Sherratt’s side. However, Russell aimed to temper expectations and credited new interim coach Sherratt on improving their performances.

FINN RUSSELL: “This week we’ve spoken about how good Wales are going to be. I think there’s this perception of them before the tournament, and they’ve turned the corner with the new coach coming in and the new players in the squad.”

“I think looking at that game and the squad they’ve got now, it’s going to be really tough.”

In the off week following the disappointing loss to England at Allianz Stadium, Russell explained his decision to take his mind off rugby and relax before the double-header of Wales and a trip to Paris to finish the championship.

FINN RUSSELL: “I sent all my boots and kit back up to Scotland after the England game. I spent Sunday and Monday in Bath, golfed in Scotland on Wednesday and Thursday, and spent time with my family for the rest of the week.

“For me, getting away from it is good - going on the golf course, having a laugh and chilling out a bit. I played with Ryan Wilson on the Wednesday and then on the Thursday with my Dad. There’s a lot of similarities between golf and goal kicking.”

Russell missed all three of his conversion attempts in London, including a last-minute wide miss which handed England victory - leading to a scathing 4/10 rating from RUCK. When asked about being able to put the disappointment in the past, the 32-year-old was honest and pragmatic about how he processed the situation.

FINN RUSSELL: “It’s something that takes a while - that’s just sport. Everyone’s different in how they analyse it themselves. I’m lucky I’ve got a great family and great friends that help me.

“They’ll take my mind off it in terms of, ‘come on, let’s go and do something instead of sitting watching telly’.

“Especially after the game you’re disappointed, so it does creep in that night, but I think being with the boys and having family there helps you switch off a bit. The kids don’t care if you hit that kick or not, they don’t understand it. They just want you to play with them.”

Gloucester fly-half Anscombe missed the first two matches of the tournament having been dropped by now-axed head coach Warren Gatland. The 33-year-old impressed on his recall, scoring a 6/10 rating from Ruck, and Russell echoed his respect for his opposite number come Saturday afternoon.

FINN RUSSELL: “He’s been brilliant for Gloucester this year. He plays flat to the line. He likes the high ball across the pitch.

“It seems like they’ve got a new licence to go out and play what they see. That suits his style and suits the rest of the backs they’ve got. I think Anscombe has got loads of experience and he’s a brilliant player, so I think he’s the one that pulls it all together.”

As Scotland co-captain, Russell had a quick turnaround from mulling over his own disappointment following the England game, needing to pick up those around him and be a leader in the dressing room. The Bath man spoke frankly to the press about his role as a senior squad player.

FINN RUSSELL: “It’s tough, but I think for me having missed that kick, I’ll probably me more disappointed than anyone. I can pick the boys up and say, ‘let’s get onto the next job, let’s move on from this and start building for Wales’. It’s never easy after a loss - I think it’s getting a balance right of everyone trying to fix it themselves but also making sure we stay as a collective.

“Once you start going out of the system or trying to do it all yourself, that’s when mistakes start happening. We start making errors in training sessions. The Tuesday session was quite frantic in terms of people trying to fix things up and make sure it’s perfect, almost going over the top to try and get it right for the win at the weekend. We had to pull it back a little bit.

“We just need to get our roles right, do what we’ve done the last three games and we’ll be in a good position going into this weekend.”

The Guinness Six Nations Player of the Championship award, has been bestowed to the best player of the tournament since 2004.

The winner of the award may not necessarily have won the Championship, Grand Slam or Triple Crown for that matter. Individual brilliance is what is recognised, and we challenge you to name every single winner from 2004 to 2024.

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