Finn Russell explains 'disagreement' with coach Gregor Townsend
Rugby NewsSaturday, 14 February 2026 at 19:27
There’s never a dull moment when Finn Russell is involved — and Scotland’s electric Calcutta Cup victory over England was no exception.
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The mercurial fly-half has revealed he clashed with head coach Gregor Townsend at half-time during Scotland’s thumping 31-20 bonus-point win over England at a bouncing Murrayfield Stadium.
Just a week after their shock Six Nations defeat to Italy, Scotland responded in devastating fashion, blowing England away in a pulsating encounter to retain the Calcutta Cup.
But despite a dominant opening period, there were heated words in the dressing room.
“Gregor had a bit of a go…”
Speaking to ITV after the match, Russell lifted the lid on the half-time exchange.
“Gregor had a bit of a go at us at half-time. He said 38 minutes we were brilliant of that first half and then when Henry got the second yellow we had a line-out and called a four-man box kick to put pressure back on them as we were in our own half.
“I thought let’s get back down there, two minutes to go…”
The flashpoint came after Scotland lost momentum late in the first half following a second yellow card, with Russell preferring a more aggressive territorial approach rather than a conservative exit.
It was a typically Russell moment — instinctive, bold, and unwilling to dial things down.
“2/10” – Six England players who flopped vs Scotland – who should replacement
Here are six England players who flopped at Murrayfield – and who should replace them.
Fraser Dingwall – Exposed in Midfield
Telegraph 3 | Rugby Pass 4
What they said
- Telegraph: “A match where his limitations were exposed opposite a Test Lion. England were cut apart too easily in the midfield.”
- Rugby Pass: “Like every outside England back, Dingwall was totally neutered by a rampant Scottish defence.”
England’s midfield looked alarmingly porous, and Dingwall struggled badly against elite opposition. Defensive frailties and a lack of cutting edge in attack left England blunt in the 13 channel.
Replacement: Ollie Lawrence
Henry Arundell – Indiscipline Proves Costly
RUCK 2 | Express 2 | Telegraph 2 | Rugby Pass 2
What they said
- Rugby Pass: Yellow carded for not releasing after scrambling to prevent a try, with England conceding 14 points while he was off. Scored, but his second yellow – and red – for taking Kyle Steyn out in the air was hugely costly.
- Telegraph: “Test rugby can be brutal. Two moments of mistiming and two yellow cards which cost England the game.”
- Express: “Hat-trick hero last week, brainless red card villain this week.”
- RUCK: Two yellow cards in the opening 40 minutes is simply unacceptable at this level.
From hero to villain in seven days. Arundell’s finishing instinct remains sharp, but his discipline handed momentum – and ultimately the match – to Scotland.
Replacement: Ollie Hassell-Collins
Ellis Genge – One Error, Huge Consequences
RUCK 4
What they said
- RUCK: “Was solid at scrum time but it is hard to look past his mistake that led to Scotland’s third. Genge found himself facing his own try-line dealing with a Finn Russell kick through, but fumbled it and let Ben White in for an easy finish.”
The scrum held up reasonably well, but Test rugby is unforgiving. One handling error deep in his own 22 proved catastrophic.
Replacement: Bevan Rodd
Sam Underhill – Hooked at Half-Time
RUCK 5 | Express 5 | Telegraph 4 | Rugby Pass 4
What they said
- Rugby Pass: Slipped off a tackle on his Bath Rugby team-mate Finn Russell, who kicked through for Scotland’s third try. Made just five tackles in 40 minutes before being replaced.
- Telegraph: “Uncharacteristically missed a host of tackles which summed up England’s disastrous defence.”
- RUCK: “Came off at half-time after a pretty unremarkable half.”
Underhill is usually England’s defensive enforcer. On this occasion, he was uncharacteristically off the pace and paid the price.
Replacement: Tom Curry
Guy Pepper – Quiet in the Chaos
RUCK 5 | Express 5 | Telegraph 5 | Rugby Pass 5
What they said
- Rugby Pass: Three dominant tackles in 56 minutes but struggled to truly influence proceedings.
- Telegraph: Missed a crucial tackle on Finn Russell in the build-up to White’s try and conceded two penalties.
- Express: “Rising star was unusually quiet in the onslaught.”
- RUCK: “Tried and tried but to very little avail.”
A tough afternoon for the young back-rower, who couldn’t impose himself in a ferocious breakdown battle.
Replacement: Henry Pollock
Maro Itoje – Captain Lacked Impact
RUCK 4.5 | Express 5 | Telegraph 4 | Rugby Pass 5
What they said
- Rugby Pass: Left covering too much space for Scotland’s opener, spilled possession in a promising position and didn’t last an hour.
- Telegraph: “England needed more from their captain… Looked off the pace.”
- Express: Good effort before being surprisingly replaced on 56 minutes.
- RUCK: “Got massively outpaced on the wing for Scotland’s first try… Simply didn’t have the desired impact.”
England needed leadership and authority — instead they got a subdued display from their skipper.
Replacement: Alex Coles
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- Jordie Barrett over Damian de Allende is far from being correct. The hype around Dupont is also overreaching, he's probably 4th in the world and has been since the 2023 WC. He also avoids certain matchups which is strange. The rest of the list is pretty good apart from minor subjective biases.JasonMarlow16-09-2026
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