Finn Russell. “Champions Cup has always been a priority for Racing 92”

Entry against Leinster

“We are all very impatient. The Champions Cup is a priority for us. Leinster reached the final last year and have consistently performed strongly in the competition in recent years. It’s a very large entry game. It will be good to play in Havre, people are not used to seeing rugby. There they will have the right to a big shock.

His return to fatherhood

“My partner gave birth ten days ago. I was able to spend time with my wife and daughter last week. Everything went well. But now I’m ready to hit the competition, can’t wait to play again. (…) We prepared well for this match, we saw Leinster dominate the debates in the URC (United Rugby Championship, formerly Celtic League). They will rotate their squad a lot in this competition, it is difficult to know which team they will come up against. But a lot of our players have played against them when they’re wearing an Ireland shirt.

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What impresses him at Leinster?

“It’s the continuity in their game between the forwards and the backs. They have defenders who show great speed and rhythm, and their forwards, who are very strong on the fundamentals, are also very mobile and have good possession. They have a very balanced game and a clear game plan.

We are still in talks with Racing and some other teams. We are waiting to see…

Finn Russell

His fight with Jonathan Sexton

“I was with him on tour with the British and Irish Lions (in South Africa in 2021), but I didn’t play with him. He’s a good guy, he knows the game like the back of his hand. I imagine he’ll be behind a lot of their attacking moves, and when they choose when to attack, he’s the one who gets a feel for what spaces to cover. I don’t know how many times he played with them this year (three matches, including two as owners, editor’s note), looking at the last games he hadn’t played so he will be fresh for this game. He is an exceptional player, he is one of the best openers in the world, it is always a good challenge to face him.

Renewing his contract with Racing?

“We are still in negotiations with Racing and some other teams. We’re waiting to see… hopefully we can get it done as soon as possible so I know what’s going on and I can move forward. There’s a lot of discussion about it now, hopefully we can do it this week or next week. That way we can put it behind us, move on and focus entirely on rugby rather than negotiations.”

We were on the same wavelength with Gregor Townsend and I think that showed in the two games in November.

Finn Russell

His November test matches

“It was a little bit special for me. At first they did not keep me in the team, then they called me back. The two games I participated in, I think we played very well. We were leading the All Blacks from about a quarter of the time, we could have won but we couldn’t get over the line and score, we were nine points ahead. We had chances to score, we could beat them. We had a dominant game against Argentina, they got a red card, but I think we were dominant before that red card. The last two games were really positive, in the right direction and it showed us how we can play. If we can build on this momentum and learn the right lessons for the next Six Nations, that will be good.”

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Her complicated relationship with Gregor Townsend

“To be honest, I didn’t talk to him much because my wife was going to give birth. I had to leave the team almost straight away. During the two weeks I was there, Gregor worked very well with me. We were both on the same page and I think it showed in both games. “I spoke to Gregor before I left to clarify some things, the game plan, he came back with answers and we were both on the same page, which showed in both games.”

Statements made at the press conference