Very often, at the Nanterre Arena, Finn Russell has put on Santa Claus clothes to distribute gifts to his partners and supporters, delighted to attend the arabesques of a genius of the game. But, and that’s good known, the esthete from Hauts-de-Seine, at Racing since 2018, sometimes displays a darker face. This Saturday, his basket seemed very thin to satisfy the Ile-de-France residents who came to decorate their December 24 before the oysters on New Year’s Eve.
The Scot was even guilty of an unfortunate gesture which led his team on the steep slope of a capital correction at home against the Parisian neighbor. With a nonchalant pass to his right wing, Russell (30) sent the ball into the arms of Sekou Macalou, who sprinted towards goal to score the second of five tries for Stade Français in the afternoon. (3-23 after the transformation of Segonds, 33rd).
This cagade followed several uninspired choices with poorly proportioned transverse footwork. It must be said that the international fly-half (65 selections) did not play in the best possible arrangements either. His three-quarters, often at the wrong time, offered too few solutions to their conductor, while scrum-half Nolann Le Garrec failed to inject a fast pace conducive to Russell’s qualities.
A useless start before half-time
Despite all these contrary elements, number 10 has at times brought Racing’s disintegrating game out of obscurity. To his superb 50/22 found just before half-time followed by a little kicking game over the defense – his specialty – which, combined with the rebound on the post and the mess of Macalou, resulted in the test of hope, scored by Le Garrec on the
mermaid (10-23, 40th).
But this flash was only an ephemeral lantern, and the sky and white club soon fell back into darkness. “Tonight, we were not invitedrecognized coach Laurent Travers. There is shame. » From a last chistera who did not find Baptiste Chouzenoux, launched in the meantime, Russell completed his ordeal in the 51st minute, replaced by Antoine Gibert, who did not do better by being involved in the tries scored by Léo Barré (55th) and Paolo Odogwu (79th).
While his transfer to Bath next year after the World Cup (September 8-October 28) was formalized earlier this week, Finn Russell will necessarily be keen to end his story at Racing better. In four and a half years, the Duke of Plessis-Robinson had many times the opportunity to prove that with number 10 in Paname, he was far from being the banana of the century. As heavy as it is, it is not a Christmas defeat that will change this observation.