Finn Russell addresses relationship with Johnny Sexton after Lions meet up
Andy Farrell met the potential for any trouble head on between Johnny Sexton and Finn Russell when the Scotland out-half came into Lions camp.
However Russell insists there was no need for an intervention as the duo buried any potential past issues ahead of the Lions' clash with Argentina in Dublin on Friday night.
The duo were on-pitch rivals at club and Test level - in fact, Russell succeeded Sexton as Racing's No.10 in Paris.
Russell was picked ahead of Sexton for the 2021 Lions tour to South Africa and, in his autobiography last year, the Dubliner claimed that the Scot's 'darling of the media' status was instrumental in Warren Gatland making that choice.
In an interview after the book's publication, Sexton stated that he would pick Owen Farrell over Russell for this summer's tour.
'Who do you want in there when the going gets tough? Test-match animals,' claimed the Leinster and Ireland great. 'I know who the media would want. Finn Russell, Marcus Smith, the flashy…'.
Sexton has now moved into full-time coaching and is on the Lions tour - where he will work directly with Russell as a kicking coach - addressed his previous comments this week, claiming they were blown out of proportion.
'I was talking about myself in 2021 and how I felt back then," he said. 'It was more really what I thought Gatland was thinking as opposed to what I was thinking. But look, you have to deal with these types of challenges and it won't be the last time'.
Russell rocked into Lions camp at the start of the week after guiding Bath to the Premiership title last Saturday.
Speaking at UCD on Friday before heading to the Aviva Stadium to watch the Lions' opener against Argentina, the 32-year-old dismissed any question of a rift or tension between Sexton and him.
'No, no, it's just a bit of a craic," he said. "It was never a thing, almost. When we came in we had a laugh straight away and Andy kind of put it to bed so that was good. Not that it was ever going to be an issue, I don't believe.
'We're all here with the same goal, which is to win the series. I've only been here a few days but it's been good working with Johnny.
"I'm happy to bounce questions off him and chat to him about what he's seeing because, with the numbers we've had, he's had to jump in sometimes. So it's been quite funny being on the same training side as him.'
Asked if Sexton had let rip at him on the pitch yet, Russell replied: 'No, not at all. It's good to have a guy with experience here. I can chat to him and bounce things off him as and when I need. All the coaches seem open to have conversations and have chats. It's a good environment to be in."
Russell was part of the Lions squad that flew from Dublin to Perth this morning ahead of their first game in Australia against Western Force next Saturday.
It's his first proper Lions tour experience after he was called up by Gatland in New Zealand as one of the 'Geography 6' - players used for a couple of pre-Test fixtures to keep under wraps Sexton and other frontliners.
Scotland were touring Australia at the time, and Wales were in New Zealand - so Gatland called up half a dozen players, with Russell just experiencing five minutes off the bench against the Hurricanes.
The 2019 tour to South Africa was undertaken under Covid restrictions and the games were played in front of no fans, and Russell came on in the final Test - playing for almost 70 minutes as Dan Biggar's replacement.
'2017 was still amazing because it was my first time being called up to the Lions," he said. "We weren't there for the whole tour, obviously, but I think to have gone there and played in my first one was really cool for me.
'Then in 2021 it was special going the whole time, even though it was Covid, obviously we couldn't have family and friends or fans at the game, but it was still amazing in probably a different way.
"In terms of the boys, we probably got to know each other a little bit better because it was just us in the hotel. Both experiences are different but in good ways. So, I'm looking forward to what this one's going to be like.
'As a group, we've set our own standards of what we want to do on this tour and how we want to be remembered. It's going out there and being ourselves. I enjoy doing that. We've spoken about what we want to be and who we represent.'
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