Russell may share his first name with his opposite number, albeit with a slightly different spelling, but the similarities end when it comes to experience.
Scotland’s fly-half will win his 84th cap on Saturday, while England’s Fin Smith, aged 22, will make just his second Test start.
Their rivalry has grown from the club game as Smith’s Northampton Saints overcame Russell’s Bath in last season’s Premiership final.
In the 2024-25 campaign, Russell has scored more points, beaten more defenders and had more touches than Smith,, external who in contrast has made more successful and dominant tackles.
Russell will want to get his hands on the ball and influence the game once more, while Smith retains the England number 10 jersey after his measured, man-of-the-match display against France, in which he created late tries for Tommy Freeman and Elliot Daly.
England centre Ollie Lawrence, who plays alongside Russell at Bath and has seen Smith develop from an academy prospect since their time together at Worcester Warriors, says the younger man is under no pressure to emulate the Scot.
“I don’t really think there’s too much pressure on Fin; certainly we aren’t putting pressure on him to step up or anything like that,” said Lawrence.
“The way he played against France and controlled the game put us in the right areas of the field. He managed to set up that try [for Daly] at the end, which was testament to how he’s come on as a player.
“Ever since he left Worcester and went to [Northampton] Saints, he’s only gone like this [upwards].
“Finn Russell is a world-class 10, a great player and I’ve got a huge amount of respect for him. But equally I’m definitely not looking at Fin and saying he has to match the other Finn during the game.
“He’ll do his thing, he’s a confident lad and we’ll back him all the way. He has so much more potential and so much more to show in an England jersey.”
