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17th April 2025
12:40pm BST
Scotland out-half Finn Russell has looked nailed on to once again make the Lions squad this summer, and has been the clear favourite to start for the test team, since his performance in the third test of the 2021 Lions tour to South Africa,
However, with the news of Johnny Sexton's appointment to Andy Farrell's coaching ticket, Russell's chances may have taken a hit.
In his autobiography and in an interview last year, Sexton, who missed out on selection in 2021, made it clear that he did not rate Russell as highly as others.
On the 2021 tour, he wrote: “Competition was tight, I’ll admit. I expected that Gats [head coach Warren Gatland] would go with Owen Farrell and Dan Biggar, players who had delivered for him before. Quality players and proven winners.
"Finn Russell was the darling of the media during that year’s Six Nations, but he didn’t look like a Gatland player to me.
"I reckoned that if Gats chose three out-halves and if he was true to his ideals, I was in."
When asked who he would bring this summer, he said: “I’d pick Owen Farrell. Who do you want in there when the going gets tough? Test-match animals. I know who the media would want. Finn Russell, Marcus Smith, the flashy. . .
“Marcus, I think, is a generational talent. I actually wouldn’t really include him. He looks flashy, but I think he manages the game really well. I think he can light up a game. But for me, I’d like Owen. He can do some remarkable things."
With further competition from Fin Smith, Sam Prendergast, and Jack Crowley, Russell's hopes have definitely taken a hit if Sexton still holds similar views.
Russell replied to Sexton's comments in January, quipping: "I don’t stress about what Johnny Sexton thinks of me."
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