FILE PHOTO: Rugby Union - Six Nations Championship - Scotland v Italy - Murrayfield Stadium, Edinburgh, Scotland, Britain - February 1, 2025 Scotland's Finn Russell kicks a conversion REUTERS/Russell Cheyne/File Photo
EDINBURGH (Reuters) - Scotland coach Gregor Townsend said flyhalf Finn Russell would continue with the kicking duties in Saturday's Six Nations game against Wales despite missing kicks at Twickenham that would have given his side victory over England two weeks ago.
Scotland’s co-captain was off target with all three conversion attempts against England and his last miss in the final minute allowed the hosts to squeeze home 16-15.
"I think they were tough conversions. One of them he would have thought wasn't as tough but his last one was very tough. With about 20 seconds to go, he got asked to move it further to the touchline," Townsend said.
Scotland had raised the intervention of referee Pierre Brousset in a review with World Rugby, feeling Russell was asked to kick from two metres wider than where Duhan van der Merwe grounded the try.
"The scoreline won’t change," added Townsend. "It doesn’t really make it even less or more frustrating."
Russell has spent much of this week practicing his kicking ahead of Saturday's game at Murrayfield, added the coach.
"Finn is an excellent kicker. Last year he was the best kicker in the championship and I'm sure by the end of the Six Nations his stats will be back up there with what he normally produces and has delivered for Scotland over the years,” he said.
Townsend’s eight-year tenure with the team has also been the subject of speculation this week after successive losses to Ireland and England left the Scots fourth in the standings.
"We've got two games to go," he said. "We don't know where that's going to leave us at the end of the competition if we did manage to get two wins, but there's a lot to play for."
(Writing by Mark Gleeson in Cape Town; Editing by Peter Rutherford)
