Wales plan to keep Finn Russell quiet as Scotland head to Cardiff
finn russell, the 33-year-old fly-half who has played 91 internationals for Scotland, produced an outstanding display as Scotland swept aside England 31-20 in the Calcutta Cup at Murrayfield last weekend and is the central threat Wales must contain when the teams meet on Saturday at the Principality Stadium.
Match build-up and how to watch
Scotland will travel to Cardiff this Saturday evening determined to keep their Six Nations and Triple Crown ambitions alive. Watch live on One and iPlayer from 16: 00 GMT; radio commentary will be on Sounds Radio Sports Extra, Radio Wales, Radio Cymru and Radio Scotland Extra; text commentary and match highlights will appear on the Sport website and app.
Finn Russell: Bath team-mate Archie Griffin warns Wales
Archie Griffin, the Bath tighthead prop who is a team-mate of Finn Russell at club level, warned Wales that Russell "can produce magic at any moment" for Scotland. A photo taken Friday January 23, 2026 shows Bath Rugby's Finn Russell tackled by Gloucester Rugby's Charlie Atkinson during the Gallagher PREM match at Kingsholm Stadium, Gloucester.
Griffin said: "He practises every moment that you see on the field. He's doing it in training so he can pull it out (magic) whenever. " He added that at Bath Russell "has really brought some direction to the team" and "leads a lot of the attack and he's always looking for you to jump out of the line. " Griffin urged Wales not to give Russell easy opportunities and to stick to their system.
Griffin also highlighted Wales' wider problems: they have conceded 102 points in their opening two Six Nations defeats, their losing streak in the tournament now stands at 13 matches, and there were nearly 17, 000 empty seats at the Principality Stadium against France on Sunday — a 74, 500-seater venue the Welsh Rugby Union has traditionally sold out. One bright spot he noted was an improved scrummaging display against France.
Tandy's inside knowledge and the defensive plan
Wales head coach Steve Tandy, who is also currently combining the defence role for Wales, will carry the defence responsibilities on Saturday. Tandy was Scotland's defence coach between 2019 and 2025 and said he has the benefit of knowing Russell "better than most. "
Tandy praised Russell's character and skill: "He was brilliant to work with and I loved it. He was an amazing character. Both sides of the ball, defence and attack, I loved working with him. " He added: "You would see stuff in training that was pretty special, to be honest. You realise that sometimes you could have everything perfect and he could pull the rabbit out of the hat. "
On the tactical side Tandy said: "We've got to trust ourselves in what we're trying to build. We need to be making sure we stay connected around the defence and are not giving him easy options or getting too narrow because he will find the soft spot. " He warned that "he will have moments in the game and we are aware of what Finn and the rest of the Scottish backline can do. It is a British and Irish Lions backline. "
Scotland's form, Russell's message and past meetings
Gregor Townsend's side have already lifted the Calcutta Cup after beating England last weekend and, in the process, claimed the Raeburn Shield title. The Scots will be confident of making it four wins in a row over Wales; Steve Tandy's Wales side have only won two of their last 24 international Tests.
Russell, speaking to the Scottish media team while out with the squad in their Spanish training camp, said Wales "always come out and work hard there. They're an emotional team, so they're going to give it everything they've got at home. " He added that the stadium will "hopefully be sold out" and warned that complacency can creep in, referencing the last two meetings with Wales where they "came back strongly in the second half in both games. " Scotland's narrow 27-26 win in Cardiff two years ago was cited as an example.
Russell also noted the familiar faces in the opposition setup: "It be good going against Steve [Tandy]; obviously he knows the boys well, and we know him well. It is different for him being the head coach, and I watch his defence coach, obviously. Danny Wilson was at Glasgow, so the boys know him really well also. " He finished plainly: "we've got one goal for the weekend, and that's to get the win down in Wales. "
Warm-up notes and final outlook
The build-up also included a warm-up line headlined "I was going to swear, but I won't" and a note that Sam Costelow "has 'responded well' to Wales omission - Tandy. " It is a question that occupies defence coaches across the world when they face Scotland: how to stop a player who has produced the moments Griffin and Tandy described.
The teams meet on Saturday at the Principality Stadium; Scotland travel to Cardiff this Saturday evening with the match available live from 16: 00 GMT on TV, radio and online as listed above.
