“Two semi-finals – it’s not too bad for a season, but for us, our expectations and our goals are to win titles”

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Finn Russell’s third season at the Rec offered another reminder of why he has embraced his Lionel Messi moniker – a mercurial talent capable of producing moments of brilliance and dictating games on his own terms.

But while Messi’s trophy cabinet is overflowing, Russell’s individual brilliance has not always translated into silverware.

The Blue, Black & Whites made it to domestic and European semi-finals last term, beaten in the European Champions Cup by Bordeaux 38-26 in France and by Exeter Chiefs in dramatic fashion 27-26 at the Rec.

After helping Bath to a treble in 2024/25, the Scottish superstar now returns with the challenge of matching those lofty heights once again. Russell believes that to look at knockout Gallagher Prem and European rugby as a disappointment last season shows how good it’s been so far.

“Two semi-finals – it’s not too bad for a season, but for us, our expectations and our goals are to win titles,” Russell admitted.

“So having got two semi-finals, looking back at it, in one play-off we could’ve got to a Prem final and in Bordeaux, it’s a couple of decisions away from getting through to the final of the Champions Cup. We didn’t achieve what we wanted to get last season, but overall, we can’t be too hard on ourselves. Two semi-finals isn’t bad.

“I’m feeling great. I’d like to play more than last year and didn’t quite get to the robustness I wanted to get to, I find that from playing week-in and week-out.”

Russell was out of action during Bath’s semi-final loss to the Devonians due to injury, which he admitted numbed the pain of late defeat at the hands of Exeter as Bath tried to force their way over the line.

Scotland’s star number ten still feels the raw blowback of the loss, which is looking like it will be the final Prem play-off tie at the Rec as we know it when stadium redevelopment begins towards the end of this season.

Russell said: “For me it was easier because I wasn’t playing. It sounds funny, because it’s always a team sport, but when I wasn’t playing, it was easier for me.

“I’d be interested when everyone’s back in and when we start with the league again as to how we go, but it was the last game of the season, so we’ve had a few months now to switch off, get away from it and come back to take the individual learnings from it. We’ve had time to individually deal with the season that we had and then we can start again fresh.”

The other elephant in the room for the 24/25 Prem champions is the exit of powerful prop Thomas du Toit, right, who gave Bath equal levels of attacking and defensive might.

His eight tries in the league last campaign, scoring once every two matches, powered the Bath front row to a league-leading scrum and a redzone game which struck fear into opponents.

Du Toit has returned to South Africa for the Sharks of the United Rugby Championship in Durban and Russell made no attempt to hide the near-140kg hole head coach Johann van Graan must fill.

“Thomas was awesome for Bath, we’ve had a big gap to fill, but we’ve got good guys coming up such as Will Stuart, Vilikesa Sela, Archie Griffin – very good players who can step up to the challenge,” he said. “He will be a loss in certain areas, but I think the boys will come in and prove their worth.”

The new Prem fan would be hard pressed to think that Bath finished bottom of the table just five years ago. The stadium redevelopment, which will increase capacity to 18,000, has been brought forward to the end of this season – impacting the final two home matches of the Prem and a potential home play-off semi-final, which would have to be played away from the Rec if Bath secure one. Russell added: “It’s exciting and definitely a good place to be.”

Courtesy of Somerset Live – Bath News