‘Energised’ Finn Russell plots Six Nations attack after uplifting Bath move

Dylan Coetzee
Finn Russell Bath Premiership 2023 - Alamy.jpg

Bath and Scotland fly-half Finn Russell.

Fly-half Finn Russell is plotting how to get the best out of the Scotland attack ahead of the Six Nations next month.

Russell has been in outstanding form in his first season for Bath, powering the side into the top four of the Premiership standings.

Prepping Six Nations attack

The flair-filled playmaker believes the move to the English side and working with Johann van Graan’s gameplan has helped him grow as a fly-half. The Scot also reveal he has been in close contact with the national head coach Gregor Townsend ahead of a big couple of months.

“Coming and changing teams with Bath has given me, not a new lease of life, but it has energised me,” Russell said.

“It has been a new challenge and I’ve worked with new players in a slightly different structure and with a new gameplan, which has been good fun.

“I have grown again since I have been here. It is good for me as a 10, the more experience I get, the better.

“I have spoken to Gregor quite a lot. He texted me on Saturday and every week we have been chatting.

“I have got a call with him on Monday to chat about a few options with the attack through the Six Nations.”

World Cup disappointment

Scotland were drawn in a very difficult pool at the Rugby World Cup alongside both Ireland and eventual winners South Africa, which ultimately resulted in an early exit.

However, Russell claims that the timing of his move from French side Racing 92 to Bath offered a welcome distraction to get over the hurt from the global showpiece.

“Physically I was all right. I played three games out of four at the World Cup but every game I had a week off after so physically I was fine,” he said.

“It was more disappointment. I wanted to get straight back in here so I almost didn’t have time to dwell on what had happened.

Something fresh at Bath

“I took a week off, three or four weeks after I came back in, got away and had a proper holiday and switched off a bit, but coming back in here and getting something fresh has been really good to get over it.

“Potentially, if I had stayed at Racing I would have gone back there and it would have been the same again and dwelling on the World Cup.

“Coming into a new team with new coaches and a new environment and starting from scratch helped me get over that World Cup.”

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