Scotland’s Guinness Six Nations preparations were thrown into chaos with stand-off Finn Russell leaving the national training camp after being ruled out of next week’s opener against Ireland in Dublin.
The 27-year-old is understood to have been disciplined for a serious breach of team rules at the start of a week-long camp at the Oriam facility at the Heriot-Watt University campus to the west of Edinburgh.
The breach is believed to involve him drinking at the team hotel bar after curfew on Sunday and leaving the hotel overnight, missing the training session on Monday.
This was considered serious enough that Russell was set to be omitted from the opening Six Nations game in Dublin a week on Saturday, but the 47-times capped stand-off had been asked to stay with the squad and contribute to the team’s preparations from Thursday onwards.
However it’s understood he left the team camp without informing management of his departure and has since returned to his base with club Racing 92 in Paris.
A terse statement from Scottish Rugby yesterday said the player “will play no further part in preparations for Scotland’s Six Nations opener against Ireland, having been disciplined for a breach of team protocol during the week’s camp”.
Sources within the camp said there has been no contact with Russell since he left, which has to leave his participation in any part of the 2020 Six Nations – and indeed his Scotland career – in some considerable doubt.
Russell’s shock departure is a huge blow to Scotland’s hopes of a restorative Six Nations after the disappointments of 2019 and the early departure from the Rugby World Cup in Japan, but it’s hardly a secret that the player has been a disaffected figure within the Scotland squad for almost a year.
He publicly questioned the tactics of head coach Gregor Townsend during last year’s Six Nations and was a frustrated presence during much of the Rugby World Cup in Japan, where his form was patchy.
Russell seemed to balk at the change in the team’s gameplan in 2019 which involved much more kicking designed to put pressure on the opposition.
Scotland won just two tests out of eight against Tier One opposition during the year, earning a draw at Twickenham after being 31-0 down when Russell claimed to have argued with Townsend about the tactical approach in the dressing room at half-time.
In contrast, with Racing since he returned from Japan, Russell has been an enthusiastic and creative element for the Paris club as they have reached the quarter finals of the Heineken Champions Cup as one of the top seeds.
Russell also has some underlying issues with the hierarchy at Murrayfield, with his father Keith having been fired from his position as Director of Domestic Rugby with Scottish Rugby in 2018 but successfully winning his case of unfair dismissal.
In that case Scottish Rugby CEO Mark Dodson – in the news last week when his 2019 pay was revealed at nearly £1 million – was specifically criticised by the tribunal chairman for his actions during the dismissal and management practices in general.
However, Russell has played for Scotland since his father’s dismissal without particular effect and it’s thought this issue has had no bearing on his sudden departure from the squad.
If Russell has burned his bridges with the international team management by breaking team rules and doubled-down by leaving the camp it’s hard to see how he could return unless there is a significant climbdown on his part.
The player, who has 46 caps scoring 137 points in his Scotland career, is widely considered to be one of national team’s few points of difference on the pitch and one of the best 10s in World Rugby.
It will be a huge blow if he misses what is going to be a crucial championship for the national team and for Townsend, who is under pressure after the difficult 2019 campaign which included failure to reach the last eight in Japan.
The only other full-time stand-off in the camp is Adam Hastings, who at 23 has just 14 caps. Hastings has been in good form for Glasgow, but there is no real back-up beyond him for the pivotal 10 shirt, with Northampton’s Rory Hutchison, who last played regularly at the position when in Under-20s rugby, the possible alternative.
Scotland have yet to announce any further call-ups to the squad to cover Russell’s absence, but there are limited options. Pete Horne, again not a regular stand-off, could get a recall with Worcester’s Duncan Weir the only other full-time 10 of any experience.