Sign up to our free sport newsletter for all the latest news on everything from cycling to boxingSign up to our free sport email for all the latest newsSign up to our free sport email for all the latest news
I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy
For years, England have had a problem. Be it at Twickenham or Murrayfield, in conditions dry or dreich, come the Calcutta Cup clash, they have been unable to stop Scotland’s mischief-makers in chief. Amid fluctuating fortunes for each side, England getting cut to ribbons in this fixture has been a familiar, predictable theme in a run of six defeats in seven.
From Duhan van der Merwe’s wondrous weave between would-be tacklers at Twickenham two years ago way back to Huw Jones’s length-of-the-field classic in Edinburgh in 2018, Scotland have found a way to cut England deeply more often than just about any other side. Hulking wing Van der Merwe has six tries against the Auld Enemy; carving centre Jones has five.
Pulling England strings throughout their recent run has been one of the game’s best puppet-masters. “Scotland are very smart in the way they play and they have a 10 in Finn Russell who many people say is arguably the best fly-half in the world at the moment,” Steve Borthwick said on Tuesday. “He has a very varied kicking game and a really attacking kicking game. We have to be very sharp to make sure that space is covered because he can find it.”
Finn Russell has had his hands on the Calcutta Cup regularly over the last few years (Getty)Russell has been the primary painter of England’s recent pain in this storied rivalry: arcing that lovely rainbow to free Jones in 2018; illustrating the remarkable comeback from 31-7 down in 2019; forcing an exposed Luke Cowan-Dickie into an unedifying error with two picture-perfect cross-kicks in 2022.
By his standards, the start to this campaign has been below par. A slightly sloppy showing against Italy featured an uncharacteristically poor decision to throw a pass that was intercepted, before the 32-year-old was unable to exert his influence against Ireland and then forced off after a nasty head clash with teammate Darcy Graham. Russell will have to come through return-to-play protocols before being declared fit to feature, but England are very much planning to have to take on their tormentor again.
Borthwick can count upon some inside knowledge of the fly-half within his squad. His Bath half-back partner and captain, Ben Spencer, is part of the squad but it is perhaps centre Ollie Lawrence, who can best explain Russell’s strengths. Lawrence unites with Henry Slade for a 13th straight Test in England’s midfield having thrived since Russell arrived at The Rec at the start of last season.
“Sometimes Finn is in his own world and he can make things happen that not everybody else can see,” Lawrence explains of his friend-turned foe. “One of his strengths is that he can create something out of nothing. He’s a skill player, he’s got a great passing game, great kicking game and we’ve looked at it and we’ve all added our bit from us knowing him at Bath.
Ollie Lawrence and Finn Russell are teammates at Bath (Getty)“But the biggest thing for us is around what’s outside of him as well and stopping the momentum that he gets on the back of the forwards and their carries and that will all add to hopefully slowing down his game and limiting his options.”
There is a perception of Russell being one of rugby’s great off-the-cuff improvisers but, as detailed in The Independent ahead of the start of this Six Nations, the Scotland fly-half is diligent in his preparation, reviewing footage and data to sculpt a gameplan. He will have watched closely how England’s new defensive system has functioned across rounds one and two, with Slade continuing to occupy the 13 channel despite a paring back of the aggressive “hammer” blitz defence utilised last year.
“Before I met him, I was similar in thinking he was a feel-based player but he sees pictures and understands them because of the analysis he’s done,” Lawrence says of Russell. “He can do things off the cuff but he is able to execute things that he’s already seen pictures of, that teams have done before, and he’s world-class at doing it.
Finn Russell studies opposing defences hard to find fissures and faults (Getty)“It is going to be a challenge going up against him but it was the same last week with [Antoine] Dupont, another world-class player. If you put pressure on them then you can force them to make errors and that’s the plan on Saturday.”
Lawrence sought to play down the individual duel between Russell and Fin Smith, who have tussled on the Twickenham turf before. In last year’s Premiership final, the Scot won the battle but Bath lost the war as Northampton took the title.
Smith and Lawrence are also past colleagues of Van der Merwe’s, the trio helping Worcester to Premiership Rugby Cup silverware just a matter of months before the club’s sad demise. The wing is a player of almost unmatched physical prowess, allying sprinting speed to sheer bulk and bite in the carry. Perhaps his closest comparison in this competition is Ireland’s James Lowe, who exploited England’s undersized edge defenders to devastating effect in Dublin.
Duhan van der Merwe has run rampant against England over the last few years (Getty)Lawrence is very aware of the need to shut down the space available to Van der Merwe. “We just gave him the ball [at Worcester], to be honest, and said: ‘Go on, off you go.’ He’s always been a quick person. He loves throwing people off him.
“I’m not going to say too much but there are definitely areas that we can go after and we look forward to trying to do that on Saturday. As a player, with him and watching him, it’s great to watch. He has done well in a Scotland shirt.
“It’s exciting to go against these types of players. You want them to be playing against the best players. We have great wings in our team and I’m looking forward to seeing how they go at the weekend and get into the battle and hopefully close down as much of his space and time. Then we’ll see how he is after the game.”
