SCOTLAND scrum-half Ali Price has developed a pretty solid relationship with stand-off Adam Hastings at both club and international level during the last 12 to 18 months – but admits that the thought of linking up again with his old half-back buddy Finn Russell this Autumn fills him with excitement. 

The pair spent a few years as flatmates, as well as team-mates for Warriors and Scotland, but have not lined-up together in the last year due to Russell now playing his club rugby in France with Racing 92 and being exiled from the national squad during the first four games of the 2020 Six Nations due to a fall-out with head coach Gregor Townsend. 

Now, with Russell and Townsend having settled their differences, the maverick stand-off returned to the Scotland camp on Sunday night – following his team’s European Champions Cup Final defeat to Exeter Chiefs on Saturday – and trained with the squad yesterday ahead of this coming Friday’s clash against Georgia. 

“It will be exciting,” said Price, of the prospect of rekindling his rugby ‘bromance’ with Russell. “It has been a long time since we played together but we have had some really fun games and have played in big games together. When he came in last night, I hadn't actually seen him face-to-face for months, so it was nice to reconnect.  

“I think he spoke to Gregor. I had a chat with him in the lobby and he was still getting over the loss. I think they went straight back to Paris and then he flew here on Sunday night, so he was tired because he had had a busy couple of days, but he was excited to be back in.  

“When he takes to the field it will be the first time he has played in a Scotland jersey for over a year. That's exciting for him. It has been too long. 

“He trained today and at the end of the session I told him that the first one was under the belt. It's great to see and it's great for the squad and for the country as well.” 

Russell had a roller-coaster Champions Cup Final experience, with some moments of real brilliance but also a few costly gaffes, causing a reignition of the old debate about whether he has the right skillset and temperament to play the crucial stand-off role at the highest level – but Price is in no doubt that his old pal provides more positives than negatives through his fearless approach to the game. 

“I thought he did really well [in the Final],” said Price. “People are very quick to pick up the negatives of a player’s performance, but I think Finn assisted both of Simon Zebo’s tries and if you look at his performances over the whole of Racing 92’s Champions Cup campaign, he is a massive part of why they made it that far. 

“That was a game that could have gone either way at the end. He was unfortunate with how the result went but he has had a pretty good season. 

“Not everything is going to come off and mistakes are going to happen. That's rugby, that's life, it happens. I give him credit for going out there and trying. He plays with confidence and he doesn't let mistakes get to him. He wouldn't be half the player he is if he did.  

“You can look at the negatives, but the amount of risks he takes that come off – although he wouldn't say they are risks. He is a confident guy and he has won a lot of games for Scotland and Racing because of that. He sees things on the field that other players just don't see. You shouldn't put a guy like that into a box – you should let him express himself.” 

It is not clear whether Russell will be thrown back into the starting XV against Georgia on Friday. Hastings is the man in possession having stepped up to the plate back in February with both confidence and competence, and he will have had two weeks prep for the game by the time it comes around whereas Russell will have just four days. In the circumstances, Townsend could well be tempted to go with the continuity option for a game in which Scotland should really be targeting a comfortable win. 

“I guess it is the same issue for all head coaches, at some point you need to blood players in the event of injuries or people moving on, but at the same time we are very aware that we have a huge match coming up against Wales, and after seven months of no international rugby you need to try to get some continuity back going into that game,” pondered Price. 

“So, I think it is about trying to find a balance between giving guys who have trained well and played well for their clubs a deserved opportunity, but at the same time trying to get some form of continuity by getting your centres gelling, your half-backs gelling, and so on.”