Finn Russell and Gregor Townsend are like Blair and Brown - one can only hope mercurial fly-half can force his way back in

Gregor Townsend (right) and Finn Russell won't be working together this autumn.

Think of Tony Blair and Gordon Brown. Viewed from outside, this seems to be the case with Scotland head coach Gregor Townsend and stand-off Finn Russell now: two intelligent, strongminded men who no longer see eye to eye. One hopes the relationship can be repaired. Few doubt that at his best Russell is one of the top fly-halves in the world. He is also one of the three best Scottish number 10s I have seen, along with John Rutherford and Gregor himself. He hasn’t apparently been in top form for Racing 92 this autumn, but if he is at his shining best in the weeks between the Autumn internationals and the Six Nations, Scotland would have more hope of success in the spring and at the World Cup a year from now with him at fly-half.

There were no other real surprises in the squad for the forthcoming internationals, unless you think the return of Richie Gray a surprise. He has done great things for Scotland in the past, but, judged by the expectations he first elicited, his career has been a bit disappointing. Injuries and perhaps some career choices have contributed to that, but it would be splendid if he could enjoy a late-blossoming flourish.

If the omission of Russell leaves Blair Kinghorn and Adam Hastings disputing the fly-half position, we still have unresolved questions in midfield. Chris Harris has played very effectively at 13, but, while his ability to organise the defence is recognised, he isn’t as dangerous in attack as Mark Bennett, who has been in sublime form for Edinburgh. As for inside centre, Sam Johnson is injured and it seems to be a choice between Sione Tuipulotu, who has been playing for well for Glasgow, and Cameron Redpath, at last fit again and playing for his club, Bath. So much hope has been invested in young Redpath that one hesitates to write about him. Perhaps all one should say at this point is that he will surely start at least one international in November, and we can only hope that all goes well.

There is surely no doubt about the back three. Stuart Hogg, Darcy Graham and Duhan van der Merwe must surely be as brilliant and dangerous a trio as Scotland has ever fielded, even as dangerous as any in the international game today. Hogg has now scored more international tries than any other Scot. The mighty van der Merwe has scored tries wherever he has played, and as for Darcy, well the first time I recall seeing him was in an age-group international when he took the ball way out on the right wing deep in his own half, and set off on a mazy run which ended with him scoring near the left corner flag. It was rather like my first sight had of a teenaged Antoine Dupont – this was a boy to be watched. Well, this year, according to the stats obligingly compiled by the URC team Darcy is not only the season’s leading try-scorer to date (with eight) but has beaten more defenders (22) and carried more metres (424) than any other player in the league.

So what’s the conclusion? Surely that a back three of Hogg, Graham and van der Merwe is a priceless asset, and one that will win matches if brought often enough into the game with them needing only a glimpse of space.

Scotland can field and fairly powerful, skilful and efficient pack. It is one that is surely capable of holding its own, most of the time, with pretty well anybody, Tries will of course come to the pack, as they come to everybody, through the rolling maul from line-outs. Yet it will take more than efficiency to beat the big battalions – New Zealand, Australia and Argentina in the autumn, France, Ireland and England in the Spring. It will take pace, flair, adventure, and Scotland have the backs, especially, the back three to set any game alight.

They will of course be missing Hogg in the October game against Australia, but one hopes that when we face the All Blacks the Hawick me will be at 15 and 14 and the big South African at 11. When I was a boy, crowds at Tynecastle hailed the players wearing the 8, 9 and 10 jerseys, Alfie Conn, Willie Bauld and Jimmy Wardhaugh as “the Terrible Trio” – terrible in the sense of terrifying, of course. Well, in the months and years to come, they may be remembered as the time of a new Terrible Trio: Hogg, Graham and Van der Merwe.