Former Falkirk fly-half Finn Russell tells of joy at helping Bath to rugby’s English Premiership title
Former Falkirk fly-half Finn Russell has told of his joy at helping current club Bath to their first English Premiership rugby title for almost 30 years by racking up 13 points with his boot and setting up a try.
The 32-year-old kicked three penalties – on ten minutes, 41 and 70 – and two conversions, on 27 and 52, as the West Country side beat Leicester Tigers 23-21 in Saturday’s premiership final at London’s Twickenham Stadium and could have added five more with a certain try on 51 minutes but instead opted to pass back inside to teammate Max Ojomoh to put their side 18-7 ahead.
Explaining that unselfish move, Russell said: “He’s a boy from Bath that grew up watching his dad lift trophies, and it was his turn today and he got a try in the final, so that will live long in his memory.”
Bath head coach Johann van Graan said he could see that pass coming, unlikely as it might have seemed to fans at the time.
“Finn is always thinking ahead and I just knew he was going to pass, but when he did, I said ‘Maxie, you’ve got to catch this one’,” he explained.
Saturday’s win in front of a crowd of 82,000 sees Bath, bottom of the premiership just three years ago, crowned as England’s champions for the first time since 1996, as well as having won the European Professional Club Rugby Challenge Cup by seeing off Lyon 37-12 in Wales in May.
That’s a winning double Russell – capped 87 times for Scotland since 2014, all but one of them starts, scoring 436 points – is delighted to have added to his CV and is now hoping to supplement with further silverware.
“I think the main thing about this team is the circle we’ve got, the group, the players, staff, and we've got the whole city behind us,” he said.
“I think myself and other players on the pitch, we can go out there and express ourselves, knowing that everyone’s got each other’s back.
“If you want to win stuff, that’s potentially more important than individuals.
“When you’ve got each others’ backs and you know you can play your game without stress or making a mistake, that allows boys that freedom to go out and play.
“I’m going to celebrate and properly enjoy this one.
“It’s a special moment when you win stuff – it doesn’t come around often, as I know more than some.
“Getting to a final is brilliant, but when you actually win it, it’s even more special.
“Bath haven’t won the league in 29 years, so when you achieve something so special like that, it’s important to celebrate it.
“It’s not just one game – it’s the past 48 weeks that we’ve been going and what we’ve put into getting here. I can enjoy it.
“Winning the challenge cup was brilliant, but at the start of the year the goal was to win the premiership.
“It’s ten years since I won it at Glasgow Warriors in my second season there and now I’ve won it here in my second season.”
Bridge of Allan-born Russell, at Falkirk for the 2011/12 season after leaving Stirling County and before moving on to Ayr, was one of three Scots in Bath’s title-winning team, along with Cameron Redpath and Josh Bayliss, both now heading off on their country’s July tour of Fiji and New Zealand while the No 10 joins the British and Irish Lions for the third time for their visit to Australia this summer.