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Russell reveals what part Dan Carter played in his Racing move

Scotland fly-half Finn Russell

Finn Russell insists Dan Carter’s imminent Racing 92 departure was not behind his decision to move to the Top 14 giants because he thought the New Zealand great would still be there next season.

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It was announced last week that Scotland fly-half Russell is to leave Glasgow Warriors at the end of the Pro14 campaign, with Racing revealing his signing on Tuesday.

The news comes after All Blacks legend Carter confirmed that he is leaving Paris at the end of 2017-18 to take up a new challenge in Japan, leaving Russell to compete with Pat Lambie for the number 10 jersey at Racing.

But Russell, who was part of the British and Irish Lions tour to New Zealand, says he would have made the move even if Carter was staying put.

“I did not really think of Dan’s departure, I thought maybe he would still be there, I would have learned a lot from him,” he told Racing’s official website.

Russell was a Pro12 winner with the Warriors in 2015, but he felt moving to Racing offered him more chance of success in Europe.

“I had the chance to play six seasons in Glasgow but for me, for my progress, I felt it was time to change the environment,” he added.

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“Like any rugby player my goal is to win, I want to win titles with Racing. It is a club determined to play as many finals as possible and win and who are likely to do it. 

“It’s really my main goal, and Racing has all the potential to get the Champions Cup or Top 14.

“I can’t wait to help them win. It’s a great club, I’m looking forward to settling down and playing with my new team-mates as well as working with the coaches and all the staff.”

While Russell is departing the Warriors, one man staying at Scotstoun is scrum-half Ali Price.

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The Scotland international penned a new deal until May 2020 on Wednesday.

“It was an incredibly easy decision for me to make. I’ve been up here for four years now and I’m loving it and the club’s in a really good place,” he told the Warriors’ official website.

“Playing at Scotstoun is a feeling I can’t really explain. I love the buzz.”

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Soliloquin 1 hour ago
Competing interests and rotated squads: What the 'player welfare summer' is really telling us

I don’t know the financial story behind the changes that were implemented, but I guess clubs started to lose money, Mourad Boudjellal won it all with Toulon, got tired and wanted to invest in football , the French national team was at its lowest with the QF humiliation in 2015 and the FFR needed to transform the model where no French talent could thrive. Interestingly enough, the JIFF rule came in during the 2009/2010 season, so before the Toulon dynasty, but it was only 40% of the players that to be from trained in French academies. But the crops came a few years later, when they passed it at the current level of 70%.

Again, I’m not a huge fan of under 18 players being scouted and signed. I’d rather have French clubs create sub-academies in French territories like Wallis and Futuna, New Caledonia and other places that are culturally closer to RU and geographically closer to rugby lands. Mauvaka, Moefana, Taofifenua bros, Tolofua bros, Falatea - they all came to mainland after starting their rugby adventure back home.

They’re French, they come from economically struggling areas, and rugby can help locally, instead of lumping foreign talents.

And even though many national teams benefit from their players training and playing in France, there are cases where they could avoid trying to get them in the French national team (Tatafu).

In other cases, I feel less shame when the country doesn’t believe in the player like in Meafou’s case.

And there are players that never consider switching to the French national team like Niniashvili, Merckler or even Capuozzo, who is French and doesn’t really speak Italian.

We’ll see with Jacques Willis 🥲


But hey, it’s nothing new to Australia and NZ with PI!

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