What was life like for Scotland pre-Russell, pre the outrageous talent with hand and boot, pre the imaginative and prescient and the execution, the arrogance and the persona that will get you off your seat and, sure, the risk-taking that may make you conceal behind it at instances when it goes improper?
Scotland’s assault was largely barren within the Six Nations from 2000 to 2015, when Russell turned up in earnest. In 16 consecutive seasons Scotland by no means made double figures in tries scored in a five-game championship.
They averaged fewer than six tries per match. Crossing the road was a Herculean activity.
Then, Russell. In his second Six Nations, Scotland scored 11 tries, then 14, then 11, then 14 once more. That quantity slumped to seven in 2000 – the 12 months Russell and his coach, Gregor Townsend, had been estranged. The next 12 months, with Russell restored, the strive rely rose to 18. They common round 14.5 per Six Nations these days.
They’ve 10 of their first three video games this time round. This isn’t all on Russell. He is had Darcy Graham, Van der Merwe and Steyn out huge, he is had Huw Jones and Sione Tuipulotu within the midfield. He is had Blair Kinghorn at full-back and Ben White and George Horne at scrum-half.
However Russell controls all of it and for one of the best a part of a decade he is been the main focus of opposition coaches in each recreation that he is performed. It is made life more durable, nevertheless it’s illustrative of the respect he is earned.
