Rugby

Gregor Townsend forced to recall Finn Russell after controversial omission

Racing outhalf called up after Adam Hastings picked up an injury against Fiji

Gregor Townsend has recalled Finn Russell after controversially omitting him from the original Scotland squad. Photograph: Jane Barlow/PA Wire

Mon Nov 7 2022 - 12:18

Finn Russell has won a Scotland call-up after fellow outhalf Adam Hastings was ruled out through injury following Saturday’s win over Fiji.

Russell was a controversial omission from Scotland’s original squad for the Autumn Nations Series but is back in the fold ahead of Sunday’s Murrayfield clash with New Zealand and the visit of Argentina on November 19th.

Blair Kinghorn and Ross Thompson were also chosen ahead of the 30-year-old Racing 92 outhalf with Gregor Townsend citing “form and consistency” levels as the key criteria for his selection.

Kinghorn started in the narrow defeat by Australia, scoring a try before missing a late penalty which would have handed Scotland victory. Gloucester number 10 Hastings came in for the second game of the series and scored a try but was forced off early in the second half of Saturday’s 28-12 victory over Fiji with a head injury, while he was also having a knee issue assessed.

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After the game Townsend said he had not spoken to Russell since informing him last month he was not in the original squad but the head coach insisted that was not unusual.

“If people are not in the squad I don’t phone them up regularly unless there’s something to talk about,” he said. “But I’d imagine he’d be available. He was disappointed not to be in the squad.”

Hooker George Turner has brushed off an injury concern after scoring one of Scotland’s four tries on Saturday.

A brief Scottish Rugby Union statement on Twitter read: “Finn Russell joins the Scotland squad with Adam Hastings returning to his club. George Turner remains with the team as preparations continue for Sunday’s game against New Zealand.”

Ahead of the match Zander Fagerson has called on the Scots to embrace the challenge ahead. The Scots have never beaten the All Blacks, although the Glasgow prop was part of a team that went agonisingly close to defeating them when they lost 22-17 in their last meeting in 2017.

New Zealand head to Murrayfield on the back of a five-game winning streak, including Saturday’s 55-23 triumph over Wales in Cardiff. Fagerson hopes his team – who produced an unconvincing display in their 28-12 win over Fiji at the weekend – can rise to the occasion.

”These opportunities to go up against southern hemisphere teams don’t come around that often so when they do come along, you’ve got to take your chance,” he said. ”We played them five years ago and I was lucky enough to be involved in that. I really enjoyed it and we should have won that game.

”I’m looking forward to next week. It’ll be a tough challenge but it’s one we’ll be up for. It’ll be exciting. It’s another opportunity to express ourselves and hopefully get a win for Scotland.”

Fagerson was just 21 and only a year into his Scotland career when he first faced the All Blacks on a day when the hosts mounted a dramatic late fightback and had a chance to nick a historic victory when Stuart Hogg was thwarted by Beauden Barrett at the death.

”I’ve got a lot of positivity when I think back to that game,” said Fagerson. ”I think just coming out for the anthems and the whole vibe of the day was amazing. That whole first half we were on our game and definitely took the game to them. After that last five minutes I was absolutely gutted.”

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