Russell named Guinness Six Nations player of the round
20 Mar 2019Finn Russell has won the fifth and final public vote for Guinness Six Nations Player of the Round for his barnstorming performance in Scotland’s incredible comeback at Twickenham.
The Racing 92 stand-off was the catalyst as the visitors turned a 31-0 deficit on its head to lead late on, before George Ford’s last-gasp try meant Scotland had to settle for a draw in one of the most incredible Calcutta Cup clashes in history.
Nine points of his own, including a lung-busting breakaway score after intercepting an Owen Farrell pass.
But it was his performance as a playmaker that set the platform for his teammates to flourish in a frantic second 40.
His passing range was on show: long to Sean Maitland to unlock the door for Darcy Graham’s second and a stunning, short, no-look pass to put Sam Johnson for a 50m run-in.
Russell even had the numbers to back things up: gaining 545.3m off a round-leading 16 kicks, while demonstrating ruthless efficiency on the carry, as he notched 11.6m on average.
The decision – voted for by the general public – sees Russell complete the quintet of players awarded the honour throughout the Guinness Six Nations.
Round One – Blair Kinghorn (Scotland)
Round Two – Jonny May (England)
Round Three – Liam Williams (Wales)
Round Four – Joe Cokanasiga (England)
Round Five – Finn Russell (Scotland)
