British and Irish Lions winners and losers: Finn Russell looks to ‘print name’ on starting jersey while England backs falter
It was a good weekend for Finn Russell who impressed for Bath.
With the Six Nations now behind us and the European domestic season back in full swing, Planet Rugby analyses the winners and losers from a British and Irish Lions perspective after Derby Weekend in the Premiership as well as United Rugby Championship and Top 14 action.
Winners
Finn Russell
The Scottish fly-half would be the first to admit that he didn’t have the Six Nations he would have hoped for as he’s tried to print his name on the red number 10 jersey.
Some uncharacteristic mistakes crept in, and the shakiness off the tee that he demonstrated at Twickenham may have given Andy Farrell a conundrum.
Despite this, Russell was electric at the Rec on Sunday with his showy distribution and free-flowing running game on full display in Bath‘s 42-26 win over Gloucester.
A trademark curling 50/22 was the highlight of his territorial dominance with the boot and a quick-thinking tap-and-go score from five metres may have settled the Lions coach’s racing mind.
Tomos Williams
If we put the weekend’s loss for Gloucester and a tough Welsh Six Nations to one side, Williams’ impressive first campaign in the English Premiership has picked up where it left off.
The scrum-half has been revolutionary for the Cherry and Whites resurgence with his deadly step and waltzing breaks making the prospect of him off the bench for the Lions an exciting reality.
Whenever Gloucester’s rapid quick hands find a break, Williams is always there with his textbook support lines helping him rack up tries in abundance – he’s always at the right place at the right time!
Solid in defence and rarely makes mistakes off the boot, surely his domestic form can’t be overlooked?
George Ford
England‘s stalwart didn’t feature as much as he would have wanted in the Six Nations, but his form for Sale Sharks and ‘been there done that’ knowhow of the Test rugby stage may make his selection appealing.
We all know the effect that Ford has wherever he goes; when he speaks, the group listens.
His 14 points at the weekend showcase his ability to convert points while creating opportunities for the players around him and it’s his knack for setting the tone and raising the level of his teammates that make him such an asset.
If he can maintain form at Sale and help them make a play-off push, his quality, experience and leadership could be beneficial down under.
Jack van Poortvliet
Injuries and arguably a lack of opportunity have potentially halted who looked to be a rising star in the English number nine jersey last year.
But JVP has done the hard yards and following his latest England cap in the Six Nations, seems reinvigorated for Leicester Tigers.
The scrum-half starred in his side’s 33-0 shutout at Franklin’s Gardens on Friday night and scored the pick of the tries with a piece of individual brilliance as he ran half the pitch and collected his own nudge to cross over.
While Alex Mitchell is currently the pick of the English scrum-half contingent, Van Poortvliet will be looking to make a last-ditch case with good domestic form.
Owen Farrell
The English veteran and leading points scorer hasn’t had the best start to his Lions push with injury and Racing 92’s on-field struggles are a recipe for disaster.
However, the fly-half and Test match animal returned from injury off the bench in Racing’s much-needed 23-21 win over Clermont Auvergne, meaning they are seven points from safety in 12th place in the Top 14.
Farrell‘s return and a much-needed victory could be the catalyst the Parisian side needed for a spirited end to the season with the former Saracens man hoping he can find some form to reignite his outside chance of a spot on the plane.
He hopes his leadership, vast experience and solid performances will lift him up his father’s fly-half pecking order.
Losers
Fin Smith
It would have been the perfect finish to the week if Smith backed up his inclusion at fly-half in the Six Nations Team of the Tournament with a Premiership derby win.
But it wasn’t to be as he struggled to make the usually rampant Northampton Saints backline come to life, with the defending champions unable to register a point as the visiting Leicester Tigers dismantled them in front of a despondent home crowd.
The absence of several senior figures in the Saints backline including international half-back partner Mitchell and impactful wide men Tommy Freeman and Ollie Sleightholme was sorely felt by the side’s fly-half.
Smith will be desperate to help his side find their domestic form of last season and back up a groundbreaking Six Nations where his Lions stock grew exponentially.
Henry Slade
It can’t be argued that Slade’s consistency and two-way contributions to club and country buy him a place in the Lions lottery hat upon merit.
But having not been included in the final two matchday squads for England in the Six Nations combined with the Exeter Chiefs’ dismal Premiership form will have done him no favours.
He was solid in his most recent England caps but Steve Borthwick’s decision to trial the Saints’ Smith/Dingwall axis was at the expense of his place and it now seems a tall task for Slade.
A Sandy Park resurgence and some trademark Slade midfield magic could be his saving grace.
Fraser Dingwall
Another outside chance for a Lions ticket who needs everything to go his way, Dingwall’s struggle to keep out the Tigers’ mauling or link up with Smith is not what he needed.
If Northampton Saints’ backline can again find their mojo and if Farrell looks towards proven domestic cohesion, there’s a slim chance that the defensive leader and confident carrier might be brought along for the ride.
The next trio of games against Sale, Clermont and Newcastle could be defining in his pursuit – the Saints need to win all three.
Ciaran Frawley
Frawley’s versatility and heroics on Ireland’s tour of South Africa a year ago had many of us wondering whether Farrell would back his own man and his ability to cover fly-half, centre and full-back would be valuable.
However, since that memorable game-winning drop goal in Durban, Frawley has fallen down the pecking order at Leinster.
He only did enough to make a spot on the bench in their 21-20 defeat to the Bulls on Saturday – seemingly behind Sam Prendergast and Ross Byrne in the side’s ranks.
And with the signing of Jordie Barrett in the midfield, it’s looking bleaker and bleaker for Frawley who likely won’t get the game time needed to star in another tour of the Southern Hemisphere.
Jack Willis
Willis is one of the leading back-rowers in the world at the moment but his captaincy of Toulouse in France has meant he hasn’t had the Six Nations podium to showcase his quality.
As a result, the English back-rower needs another dominant season in the Top 14 and European Champions Cup to win a coveted red jersey this summer.
His credentials simply cannot be argued with and you’d expect if playing domestically in England, he’d have featured in all six Test matches.
But unfortunately, this is the way of the rugby world and he will hope his side’s 32-24 defeat to Bordeaux-Begles will be the last as he hopes to make the most of his newfound international eligibility.
