Johann van Graan hails ‘world class’ Finn Russell after Bath win at Sale

Finn Russell was hailed as “world class” after he helped Premiership leaders Bath end Sale’s unbeaten home league record this season with a hard-earned 32-23 win at Salford Stadium.

The Scotland fly-off created three tries – two for Ruaridh McConnochie in the first half and the clincher six minutes from time for Tom Carr-Smith – and also added 12 points with the boot to give his side a hard-earned win on the road.

“Finn is one of the very best players in the world. I said to him in the changing room he is one of the players in world rugby you want in your team. He is going to be great for Scotland in the Six Nations but he was great for us tonight,” said Bath head of rugby Johann van Graan.

“To play 80 minutes on a Sunday afternoon the week before the Six Nations takes some doing but that’s just the sort of man he is. He came back on Friday with a smile on his face and it was a great performance tonight. You need special players in big games to come through and he can certainly came through for us tonight.”

Player Line Breaks

1

Arron Reed

2

2

Ruaridh McConnochie

2

3

Louis Schreuder

2

Sale, six points down with six minutes left, looked odds on to score after Arron Reed split Bath open but some desperate cover defence won a penalty 10 metres from their own line. Russell, seeing there was no-one deep in defence for Sale, hammered a kick long and substitute Carr-Smith won the race to score.

“I have a saying: ‘Talent needs a target that nobody else can hit but a genius hits a target that nobody else can see,” said van Graan.

However, Sale director of rugby Alex Sanderson hit out at the award of the penalty and where it was taken from.

“That was the game. There were loads of opportunities when we could’ve taken the game away from them, but there was a 14-point swing there that I’m really struggling to get over,” he said.

“Honestly, I’ve got sour grapes. We’ll go through due process, look at the tapes, but I don’t have to look at them. There’s a hand on the floor, the ball is kicked four, five metres past the mark, yet the try stands. That’s the game, that’s where it went.”

Sale led 16-12 at the break, despite McConnochie’s double, through tries by Reed and stand-off Rob du Preez.

But Max Ojomoh got Bath’s noses in front in the 54th minute, forcing his way over after a 20-phase barrage.

Then Russell’s vision delivered the killer blow.

The stand-off’s added-time penalty meant that Sale did not even earn the consolation of a bonus point despite Joe Carpenter’s late try.

Scotland coach Gregor Townsend will have been delighted to have seen Russell’s contribution ahead of the start of the Six Nations next weekend.

However, he will have been concerned to see flanker Josh Bayliss limp off late in the first half with what van Graan described as a “serious” groin injury.

Wales prop WillGriff John will definitely miss the opening round of the Six Nations after the Sale tight-head went off during the first half with a concussion.