WHILE ALMOST EVERYONE was feeling sorry for them last night at Westpac Stadium, Scottish pair Allan Dell and Finn Russell insist they have no regrets about joining the Lions as short-term reinforcements.
Finn Russell shares a joke with the injured Robbie Henshaw. James Crombie / INPHO
James Crombie / INPHO / INPHO
The Scots – along with Welshman Cory Hill, Kristian Davey, Tomas Francis and Gareth Davies – will leave the Lions set-up after Tuesday night’s draw with the Hurricanes, having been part of the crew for only 10 days.
The saga of the ‘geography six’ has been one of the odder storylines of this Lions tour, and certainly one of the most controversial.
Dell and Russell are the ‘lucky’ ones. The Scots actually got on the pitch for game time, while the four Welshmen remained unused replacements in the midweek games against the Chiefs and Hurricanes.
The game time Russell and Dell got was far from copious. The out-half had a five-minute stint off the bench in Wellington as Dan Biggar underwent a HIA, while Dell had a seven-minute run-out in Hamilton while Joe Marler sat in the sin bin.
It’s awesome to get a cap and get out there,” said Russell on Wednesday in Wellington. “It would have been good if it could have been a bit longer, but it is what it is. It’s still awesome getting a cap, it’s been an experience.”
Russell and Dell only found out for certain that they had been called up by the Lions two Saturdays ago, when Scotland boss Gregor Townsend announced it on the team bus after their win over Australia in Sydney.
They were on a flight to New Zealand the next morning and both say it has been a whirlwind experience. They’ve been spat out the other side of the storm now, leaving the Lions squad before the final two Tests.
Advertisement
One has to wonder if these players – and the uncapped Welsh quartet even more so – would accept the call up if they could do it over again, but Dell said it was a no-brainer to join the Lions.
Dell packs down at scrum time against the Chiefs. Dan Sheridan / INPHO
Dan Sheridan / INPHO / INPHO
“You’d be crazy to say no,” said the Edinburgh loosehead prop. “It’s something you jump at and could be a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. We’ve been privileged enough to receive that opportunity and fortunate enough to get games.
“Obviously it wasn’t as much time as we would have liked, and we haven’t been able to show what we’re fully capable of, but it’s still fantastic. And you’re just not going to say no to the Lions.”
Russell scotched when asked about the rumour that their international team-mate Ross Ford had turned the Lions down, underlining that he doesn’t think any player would not take the opportunity.
“No one said no, and no one would,” said the Glasgow playmaker, with Dell firmly backing him up.
“It’s a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, and no one would turn it down,” said Dell. “A career’s too short to turn down opportunities like this. Everyone’s entitled to their own opinions, but we knew the truth of that all along.”
While Russell didn’t have enough time to show his undoubted quality against the Hurricanes, Dell did at least have a big moment to remember.
With Ireland centre Jared Payne packing down behind him on the blindside flank, Dell helped the Lions to a big scrum penalty in their own 22 against the Chiefs.
And that little taster gave Dell an even greater hunger to get back on the pitch, only to be denied by Warren Gatland’s change of heart around how he would use his call-ups.
Russell came on against the Hurricanes. Dan Sheridan / INPHO
Dan Sheridan / INPHO / INPHO
“That’s a fond memory I’ll always have and will never forget,” said Dell of the scrum penalty. “It’s a pity not to stay on longer, but anything to help the team and that’s my little contribution. Hopefully it was good enough.
“Obviously it’s frustrating not to have had more game time – any player would say that – but we’re privileged enough to have had those chances, and that’s something we can take back and learn from.
“You don’t come over wanting to just fill numbers, we’re professionals, and you come over wanting to prove and to show you deserve to be in this scenario.
“That’s the bit of frustration, but we understand we came in with a role and a job to play, and we’re more than happy to fill that job and be a part of it. But at the same time you want to play, that’s why you play rugby.”
And there lies the hint of the frustration for Dell and the other five call-ups as they watched the Hurricanes mount their comeback to grab a draw at Westpac Stadium on Tuesday night.
Even having been limited in their involvement, the two Scots are nonetheless hopeful that they were a helping hand on this tour.
“We came over here just to help the boys,” said Russell. “In a long series, you know boys could well get called up through injury and we were here to help with midweek games and help prepare the boys.
“Hopefully, we can have played a tiny part in what’s happened. For both of us to win caps is quite unexpected, but you just get on with it. You’ve always got to take the opportunity when it’s there.”
The42 is on Instagram! Tap the button below on your phone to follow us!
No regrets for Scottish pair after winning very brief Lions caps
Murray Kinsella reports from Wellington
WHILE ALMOST EVERYONE was feeling sorry for them last night at Westpac Stadium, Scottish pair Allan Dell and Finn Russell insist they have no regrets about joining the Lions as short-term reinforcements.
The Scots – along with Welshman Cory Hill, Kristian Davey, Tomas Francis and Gareth Davies – will leave the Lions set-up after Tuesday night’s draw with the Hurricanes, having been part of the crew for only 10 days.
The saga of the ‘geography six’ has been one of the odder storylines of this Lions tour, and certainly one of the most controversial.
Dell and Russell are the ‘lucky’ ones. The Scots actually got on the pitch for game time, while the four Welshmen remained unused replacements in the midweek games against the Chiefs and Hurricanes.
The game time Russell and Dell got was far from copious. The out-half had a five-minute stint off the bench in Wellington as Dan Biggar underwent a HIA, while Dell had a seven-minute run-out in Hamilton while Joe Marler sat in the sin bin.
Russell and Dell only found out for certain that they had been called up by the Lions two Saturdays ago, when Scotland boss Gregor Townsend announced it on the team bus after their win over Australia in Sydney.
They were on a flight to New Zealand the next morning and both say it has been a whirlwind experience. They’ve been spat out the other side of the storm now, leaving the Lions squad before the final two Tests.
One has to wonder if these players – and the uncapped Welsh quartet even more so – would accept the call up if they could do it over again, but Dell said it was a no-brainer to join the Lions.
“You’d be crazy to say no,” said the Edinburgh loosehead prop. “It’s something you jump at and could be a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. We’ve been privileged enough to receive that opportunity and fortunate enough to get games.
“Obviously it wasn’t as much time as we would have liked, and we haven’t been able to show what we’re fully capable of, but it’s still fantastic. And you’re just not going to say no to the Lions.”
Russell scotched when asked about the rumour that their international team-mate Ross Ford had turned the Lions down, underlining that he doesn’t think any player would not take the opportunity.
“No one said no, and no one would,” said the Glasgow playmaker, with Dell firmly backing him up.
“It’s a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, and no one would turn it down,” said Dell. “A career’s too short to turn down opportunities like this. Everyone’s entitled to their own opinions, but we knew the truth of that all along.”
While Russell didn’t have enough time to show his undoubted quality against the Hurricanes, Dell did at least have a big moment to remember.
With Ireland centre Jared Payne packing down behind him on the blindside flank, Dell helped the Lions to a big scrum penalty in their own 22 against the Chiefs.
And that little taster gave Dell an even greater hunger to get back on the pitch, only to be denied by Warren Gatland’s change of heart around how he would use his call-ups.
“That’s a fond memory I’ll always have and will never forget,” said Dell of the scrum penalty. “It’s a pity not to stay on longer, but anything to help the team and that’s my little contribution. Hopefully it was good enough.
“Obviously it’s frustrating not to have had more game time – any player would say that – but we’re privileged enough to have had those chances, and that’s something we can take back and learn from.
“You don’t come over wanting to just fill numbers, we’re professionals, and you come over wanting to prove and to show you deserve to be in this scenario.
“That’s the bit of frustration, but we understand we came in with a role and a job to play, and we’re more than happy to fill that job and be a part of it. But at the same time you want to play, that’s why you play rugby.”
And there lies the hint of the frustration for Dell and the other five call-ups as they watched the Hurricanes mount their comeback to grab a draw at Westpac Stadium on Tuesday night.
Even having been limited in their involvement, the two Scots are nonetheless hopeful that they were a helping hand on this tour.
“We came over here just to help the boys,” said Russell. “In a long series, you know boys could well get called up through injury and we were here to help with midweek games and help prepare the boys.
“Hopefully, we can have played a tiny part in what’s happened. For both of us to win caps is quite unexpected, but you just get on with it. You’ve always got to take the opportunity when it’s there.”
The42 is on Instagram! Tap the button below on your phone to follow us!
Lots of outside ‘noise’ but Lions must now produce performance of a lifetime
Henderson frustrated by ‘stupid’ yellow after putting himself in Test frame
To embed this post, copy the code below on your site
Allan Dell Finn Russell Geography Six lions 2017 Lions Call Ups Russell and Del Boy Russell and Dell Boy