Finn Russell just the man for Scotland No 10 job

Scotland coach Vern Cotter has included some new blood in the squad for the Autumn Tests. Picture: Ian Rutherford

Scotland’s well-documented difficulties at stand-off have been the subject of criticism and at times mockery since the dawn of the inaugural Six Nations. The centre pairing of Alex Dunbar and Mark Bennett is sound, as is the back three of Sean Maitland, Stuart Hogg and Tim Visser. But in recent years the lack of attacking potency from the out-halves has beggared belief.

This is where Russell will make a difference. At last, perhaps for the first time since Gregor Townsend, Scotland has a natural attacking stand-off, and it is no wonder that Russell’s exuberance has already made him a crowd favourite at Glasgow.

Stand-offs these days are becoming more than just the speed bump for the opposition’s inside centres. They have to be robust. Russell has significant attacking savvy too, and takes the ball right up to the line. His manipulation of the opposition’s defence creates space for runners off him and invariably frees space for pacy wingers like Maitland out wide.

Selection against Argentina might be seen as a drastic, sink-or-swim scenario for Russell, but Scotland have very little to lose. They have been unnecessarily conservative for far too long, and need to try out a more expansive game against the Pumas if they are even to be competitive against the All Blacks a week later.

Given that, until the summer of 2012, Russell was still playing for Ayr in the BT Premiership, questions will inevitably be asked about his age and lack of experience. But the evidence so far suggests he has the versatility and the mental composure that is required to develop into a world-class stand-off.

As Cotter said of Russell: “He asks questions of the defence and is different.” Different, that is, from the incumbent No 10, his Glasgow team-mate Duncan Weir.

There is nothing irredeemably bad about Weir’s game, but it is more predictable and mechanical. Defenders don’t fear Weir as much as they will Russell, and know that, on balance, Weir opts for the boot instead of hands in the opposition 22.

Cotter’s emphasis on “developing an attack that will give us opportunities to score tries” should place Russell’s unpredictability and understanding with Dunbar and Bennett firmly at the heart of the coach’s thinking for the Autumn Tests.

The 2000s saw chronic indecision from the Scotland management in an effort to settle on a first-choice stand-off. What they eventually did was squander the chance of a genuine attacking threat from Chris Paterson in the ten jersey by playing him at full-back. Russell’s promise in the position is similar to that offered by Paterson at the same age; this time, the potential for Scotland to have an outstanding playmaker should not be ignored.

The national team has tried many options in this position in recent years, among them Ruaridh Jackson, Dan Parks and Phil Godman, but none has had quite the sense of expectation that Russell brings. Playing in a side that scores tries, Russell is used to having runners off him; and with Dunbar and Bennett both selected by Cotter, it would be no surprise to see this trio get a run in at least one of the Tests.

Russell is far less experienced than Weir, who has 15 caps to his two, as well as far more outings for Glasgow. But Cotter is unperturbed by this lack of match practice. “He comes from an efficient camp, and they [Glasgow] do plenty match simulations,” said the New Zealander.

The Southern Hemisphere deal with the issue of age rather differently. The motto seems to be: if you’re good enough, you’re old enough. Fighting for the spot with the All Blacks, Aaron Cruden and Beauden Barrett both started their international careers at the tender age of 21.

South Africa have followed the same process with a pair barely out of high school. Johan Goosen and Handré Pollard both came from seemingly nowhere to Test starters, and 20-year-old Pollard bagged two tries and 14 points against the All Blacks at the start of the month.

While clearly not at the level of the All Blacks just yet, Russell has already learned his trade in the toughest school.

His time with the MacPhail Scholarship in Christchurch, New Zealand in 2013 – a scheme that has also advanced the career of new Scotland captain Grant Gilchrist – has helped make Russell a revelation in his short tenure as a professional.

Whatever Cotter plans for the Argentina match, sooner or later he will surely turn to Russell.

A potent threat at number ten provides the solid attacking platform that Scotland so  desperately need, and Russell has the potential to do great things.