Archie Griffin has issued a strong warning to Wales ahead of their Six Nations clash with Scotland, highlighting the game-changing abilities of Bath team-mate Finn Russell.
Fly-half Russell dazzled last weekend as Scotland secured a 31-20 victory over England in the Calcutta Cup at Murrayfield. Now, he aims to extend Scotland’s momentum against a struggling Welsh side who remain winless in the tournament.
Griffin, a tighthead prop, knows firsthand the impact Russell brings from their time together at Gallagher Premiership club Bath. “Finn rehearses every moment you see on the field during training,” Griffin said ahead of Saturday’s match in Cardiff. “That preparation means he can unleash magic whenever it’s needed.”
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He added, “Since arriving at Bath, Finn has really brought direction to our team, guiding our attack and always looking to create space by encouraging players to jump out of the line.”
Griffin explains that Russell’s strength lies in his patience and game-reading, thriving when opponents stray from their system. “That’s when he truly comes alive,” Griffin said, “so it’s crucial not to give him that opportunity and to stay disciplined within our game plan.”
Wales face a daunting task amid an all-time low after conceding 102 points in their first two Six Nations games. Their defense has struggled badly, with England and France capitalising early to build commanding leads inside 20 minutes.
With a current 13-match Six Nations losing streak and nearly 17,000 empty seats at the Principality Stadium against France, Welsh rugby is going through a difficult period.
“Losing is tough, but we saw improvement last week—from discipline to set-piece,” Griffin remarked. “We must build on that against Scotland.”
He stressed the importance of strong starts: “We’ve been giving teams a head start early on, and that’s a massive gap to overcome. We have to start fast and impose ourselves from the outset, as it happened in our previous two games.”
However, there are positives for Wales, especially in scrummaging and lineouts. Griffin was encouraged by their consistency in those areas during last week’s game.
“It was crucial to maintain a solid platform throughout, ensuring clean execution so referees can back us,” Griffin said. “We aim to build momentum and create more opportunities moving forward.”