Brian O’Driscoll: Finn Russell is a ‘rugby genius’ who can make you look ‘incredibly foolish’
Brian O’Driscoll has spotted an interesting trait in Finn Russell’s game that enables him to befuddle defenders and wreak havoc.
O’Driscoll’s Ireland take on Scotland this weekend in a clash which could decide the winner of the Six Nations Championship.
Gregor Townsend’s men go into the encounter in second position behind France but level on points with Les Bleus, while the Irish are two points adrift in third.
The Scots sit in a strong position but they have succumbed to 11 successive defeats to Andy Farrell’s side.
In-form Russell
If they are to stand a chance, then fly-half Russell needs to be at the top of his game, as he has been for most of the Six Nations.
“When you do have a rugby genius like Finn Russell, I firmly believe that he is one of the best players with the greatest vision that I’ve watched,” O’Driscoll told Off The Ball.
“His spatial awareness, his understanding of where players are going to come to and what they’re likely endpoint is going to be and so he accordingly recalibrates and throws a pass to somewhere where they can’t get to.
“There was an unbelievable pass against England [in 2018] at Murrayfield, where Jonny May, I think it was, was playing high and you couldn’t even see where he was throwing this pass.
“It was over one head and dipping below Jonny May, and Huw Jones ran into this hole, who’s a very good hole runner.
“It was just like a wow moment. Finn has that the whole time, I’m sure he would be a joy to train with.”
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While there wasn’t necessarily a repeat of that pass during Scotland’s victory over France, there were plenty of brilliant touches from Russell.
“Even the Darcy Graham first try, if you watch that back again and they do that Brumbies play where [Sione] Tuipulotu pulls it out the back, and it’s a really good pass,” O’Driscoll said.
“Russell fumbles it. [Thomas] Ramos is playing high and pushes high onto [Blair] Kinghorn because he thinks that’s the only outlet, but there’s a tiny little pop to Darcy Graham on his shoulder and Ramos can’t react.
“There are small subtleties to Finn’s game that you might not have an appreciation for.”
Ireland will therefore have to be wary of Russell’s threat, particularly the disguise he has on his pass according to O’Driscoll.
The centre insists that it is the part of the game which is a “real differentiator” and enables him to open up defences more easily.
‘Incredibly strong wrists’
“I cover Bath quite a bit in the PREM and one thing to watch out for is his wrist action. His wrist action is the same on a two-metre pass as what it is on a 15-metre pass,” he said.
“As you’re reading it defensively, it is so hard to get a picture as to who the runner’s going to be. Particularly if he has a line of three or four, the same flow happens.
“He’s got incredibly strong wrists and there’s no real wind up to it, he has this flick motion where it can be nice and subtle – a little pop – and it can be 15 metres and look effortless.
“Very, very few players have that capacity. Usually there’s a wind-up and there’s a throw into it, or there’s an acceleration, but he is able to generate that from with his wrist action. I think that’s a real differentiator.
“If I’m a 13 looking at that and the body language, and I’m seeing how much of a wind up is, my line speed will be dictated by how much a 10 cocks the ball or even a facial expression around looking like he’s going to give it some, whereas Finn is like the perfect poker player. He is impossible to read.
“As a 13, you would have to respect all of that knowing he could whip it right outside you. He is one of the very few players that has the capacity to make you look incredibly foolish by whipping it really late on the line.”
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