Sole Scot Finn Russell could play vital Lions role despite Achilles injury at Gatland gambles

Russell is the sole Scot on the bench, and, with Ali Price and Duhan van der Merwe being the only two to start, our representation in the 23 has reverted to more customary recent levels after the relative glut of the first two Tests. Stuart Hogg and Chris Harris have dropped out of the squad altogether after starting last week, Rory Sutherland has lost his place among the substitutes as Welshman Wyn Jones is fit again, and Hamish Watson is omitted as he was for the second Test.

The Springboks stifled the life out of that match, which they won 27-9 to level the series, and although the Lions also contributed to the tedium by hoisting up a lot of hopeful (but often hopeless) high balls, Gatland insisted he wanted his team to play more ball-in-hand rugby. Which is where, he explained, Russell comes in.

“We definitely want to play some more rugby – we just didn’t get that opportunity in the second half [last week],” the coach said. “We tried to get some momentum and play some rugby – we just never got into the game in the last 20 minutes or so.

“That’s why there are a couple of changes. Finn Russell comes on to the bench, because he definitely offers something a little bit different from an attacking perspective. And hopefully in the second half when things loosen up a little bit we do get some more ball-in-play time and we do get some tempo that he can come on and add to that.” 

That could mean a revival of the old Glasgow Warriors half-back partnership between Russell and Price, provided Conor Murray does not come on as back-up scrum-half before starting 10 Dan Biggar gives way to Russell. “We’ve been pleased with Ali on this tour in terms of the tempo he’s brought and that’s why we’ve moved him back,” Gatland added. “I thought he played well in the first Test.”

Clearly, if the Lions are to win the game and the series, they will have to get the better of some of the more unglamorous areas of the contest in addition to playing decent rugby. Last week they lost the battle in the air and had severe problems in the lineout, while their scrum was also under a lot more pressure than it had been in the first Test, which the Lions won 22-17. 

Hogg and England winger Anthony Watson have both paid the price for the aerial failures, giving way in the back three to Liam Williams and Josh Adams respectively in two of the six changes made by Gatland to the starting 15. In the midfield, Harris loses out indirectly to Bundee Aki, who comes in at 12 to resume his Ireland partnership with Robbie Henshaw, who moves to Harris’ position at outside centre. 

Price swaps places with Murray as the fourth change to the back division, while up front Jones starts instead of Mako Vunipola and Ken Owens is preferred to Luke Cowan-Dickie. On the bench, Adam Beard and Sam Simmonds, like Russell, could play in their first Lions Test. 

“There have been some really, really tough calls,” Gatland continued. “Stuart [Hogg] has had the first two games, and one of the definite strengths of Liam Williams is his aerial game, and unfortunately with our whole back three last week we weren’t great in that area, we put a lot of balls down. So we felt that we needed to make a couple of changes there.” 

Russell’s inclusion means that of the eight Scots on tour, only Zander Fagerson has not been named by Gatland in a Test 23. The last chance for the Warriors forward would have come if back-up tighthead Kyle Sinckler had been suspended, but yesterday the Englishman was acquitted by an independent disciplinary panel of a charge of biting levelled against him by the citing commissioner. That means that Sinckler retains his place on the bench, with Ireland’s Tadhg Furlong again starting in the No 3 jersey.

“The committee considered all the available evidence, including multiple broadcast angles, submissions from the player and his representative and expert witness testimony,” World Rugby announced. “The player denied that he had committed an act of foul play worthy of a red card. 

“Having reviewed all the evidence, the committee deemed that on the balance of probabilities, it could not be satisfied that the player committed an act of foul play. On that basis, the committee dismissed the citing and the player is free to play again immediately.”