Bath Rugby and Scotland are anxiously awaiting clarity on the extent of Finn Russell’s injuries after the influential fly-half limped off during Scotland’s gripping 25-17 loss to New Zealand on Saturday. Russell required multiple treatments for his knee throughout the match before he was ultimately replaced late in the game, having also picked up an ankle injury.
With British and Irish Lions teammates Huw Jones and Zander Fagerson sidelined, Scotland head coach Gregor Townsend is hoping Russell avoids a lengthy absence ahead of their challenging clash against Argentina next weekend. Following Argentina’s commanding 52-28 victory over Wales, Townsend knows every key player will be vital.
“His knee was the first injury, and despite that, I thought he played brilliantly,” Townsend said. “We took him off because he also had an ankle issue—two injuries he was managing simultaneously. He doesn’t believe it will be serious, but it’s still early days. We hope he will be fit for next week, but injuries are part of the game. We’ve had two Lions unavailable for the New Zealand game, but we have players ready to step up.”
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Scotland came agonizingly close to achieving their first-ever victory against the All Blacks. After trailing 17-0 at halftime with tries from Cam Roigard and Will Jordan, the Scots mounted a thrilling comeback. Ewan Ashman and Kyle Steyn crossed the try line, and Russell added a penalty to level the score by the hour mark.
The momentum appeared to swing further in Scotland’s favor when New Zealand was reduced to 13 men after three players received yellow cards. However, the All Blacks regained their composure late in the game. Replacement Damian McKenzie secured a spectacular try in the 73rd minute before sealing the win with a long-range penalty.
Though there are no indications that Russell will face a lengthy spell on the sidelines, Bath Rugby remains reasonably well-equipped in the fly-half position. Despite Ciaran Donoghue currently being out with knee surgery, the summer signing of Santi Carreras from Gloucester gives Bath a top-quality international option ready to fill the stand-off role if necessary.
Additionally, Max Ojomoh and Tom de Glanville have already demonstrated their versatility by covering the fly-half position this season, providing further depth as Bath navigates these injury concerns.