Finn Russell will be battling for Scotland bragging rights when Bath hosts Edinburgh in Friday night’s Investec Champions Cup clash. This encounter promises high stakes as the teams vie for top spot in the fiercely competitive Pool Two, securing valuable home advantage through to the semi-finals.
As the British and Irish Lions fly-half faces several of his international teammates, he acknowledges the friendly rivalry that will fuel the match—and the banter that will continue ahead of the Six Nations opener against Italy in just three weeks.
“I got a little bit off the Edinburgh players when we played them last season. It’s all good fun and all part of the game,” Russell said. “I’ve played against Edinburgh many times when I was at Glasgow, and with Scotland, I’ve shared the pitch with many of their players. I know these boys from camp really well.”
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Russell added, “It’s always good fun playing against boys you know because there’s always bragging rights before the Six Nations. If they win or we win, we wind each other up. I imagine there will be a couple of late shots, getting held on the ground – that kind of stuff, which is always the case against players you know.”
Acknowledging Edinburgh’s impressive Champions Cup campaign so far, Russell stressed the challenge ahead: “This game could help us get a home play-off, so it’s not a knockout game but it’s one we want to win so we can put our best foot forward in the next round of the competition.”
Bath will also welcome back England duo Sam Underhill and Ollie Lawrence, who missed the recent 43-20 victory at Castres due to injury, bolstering the squad’s strength ahead of this pivotal fixture.