From pre-match meals of burger, chips and a pint of coke with Glasgow Warriors, to being the best-performing fly-half in the Six Nations, Finn Russell’s standing is at an all-time high.

Russell is currently this season’s leading points scorer, has had more carries than any other number 10 – as well as the most metres made, the most passes, the most assists, the most kicks in play and the most kicked metres.

Before Saturday’s crucial trip to Paris to face a France team ranked second in the world, Russell talked to BBC Radio 5 Live’s Rugby Union Daily about his idiosyncratic career and his country’s chances of winning the title.

‘I tend to eat what I fancy before games’

Having left school at 16 to train as a stonemason, Russell admits he has never been your typical rugby bloke.

The suggestion from a team-mate that his diet includes the infamous deep-fried Mars bar proves to be apocryphal as “I’ve never actually had one”.

“But, when I first started at Glasgow, I used to have burger, chips and a pint of coke,” Russell admits. “That was my pre-match – a few hours before the game obviously.

“Monday to Friday, I’ll eat normal healthy meals and then, in that 24 hours before a game, I tend to eat what I fancy to feel good to go into that game in a good head space.

“Even in the gym, I don’t do that much and possibly don’t push myself as hard as I can. But I think I’m doing what I need to do to get ready for that game at the weekend.”

It is an individual approach that extends to his analysis of upcoming opponents.

“I’ll do what I need to do,” he stressed. “Sometimes I’ll be there to 11 or 12 at night. Each week, I figure out what I need to do and what I feel I need to do – whether it is more analysis, or more rehab on my shoulder, or it’s more kicking.”

‘Back in good relationship’ with Townsend

Russell admits that his relaxed approach can sometimes be misinterpreted as indifference, such as when he laughed on his way off the pitch after being sent off for the first time in his career while playing for Glasgow under Townsend.

“I’m lucky – I’m not really affected by mistakes,” he says. “I tend to laugh it off and get on to the next thing. When I am annoyed, I just laugh it off.”

His relationship with Townsend deteriorated when Russell, who had already been disciplined for an unauthorised night out with team-mates during last year’s Six Nations, was omitted from Scotland’s original Autumn Nations Series squad.

However, he was soon recalled and believes he and Scotland’s head coach have forged a “good relationship” where they can “challenge one another” without either coming away thinking “he doesn’t like me”.

“I didn’t have my best season at all last year,” Russell admits. “So I was probably a bit frustrated with that and how I was playing and how the team was playing. Something just wasn’t working.

“And, before I came back in November, I had to clear up a few things with him. Nothing off the field. There were two different systems we were trying to use and it just wasn’t quite working and I think probably led to me becoming frustrated.

“This year, we’ve been a lot clearer on how we want to attack. Me and Gregor are working really closely. I’ll see different things to him, but we’ve got a really open and honest relationship that we can just chat about it.”

Having moved from Glasgow to Racing 92 in 2018, Russell found – partly because of the language barrier – he was “left to do my own thing” by the French top-flight club’s coaches.

“Coaches will need to keep getting better at managing players to get the best our of them rather than it being about being in the gym and having to hit targets and, whenever you are outside the stadium, you have to act like this.

“There’s always going to be team rules and protocols, but the better you get to know your players, the better you can influence them as an individual. If you have a coach you really get on with, you are going to really play for them.”

Scotland ‘not yet played to potential’

Whatever his relationship with his coaches at Scotland and Racing, it is working and Russell’s average of a line break every 15 passes far outstrips any other fly-half in this season’s Six Nations.

France’s Romain Ntamack has one in 24, Ireland’s Johnny Sexton one in 40, England’s Owen Farrell one in 41 and Wales’ Dan Biggar one in 46.

Indeed, while Russell’s kicking has been a major factor this season, Townsend has been trying to encourage his fly-half to run more with the ball himself as they prepare to plot a way to defeat a French side into which he has a particular insight.

“It’s about finding patterns in the defence that you can then pick apart,” Russell says.

“They’ve obviously got a really good defence and they have big forwards. Good set-piece and in the scrum – and a back three so dangerous in attack. But there are some opportunities there. Hopefully I can find a few patterns I can pick apart.”

Finding those patterns – while he and partner Emma juggle with the arrival of first child, Charlie – has been crucial as Scotland beat England and Wales despite a lack of ball by making the best of their scoring chances.

Russell realises there is not only room but a need for improvement.

“As far as winning the title this year, people have been saying the Ireland game is going to be massive, but we still have France in France,” he adds.

“Yes, we have won two games, but I don’t think England or Wales were at their best. France and Ireland will be so much harder than both of those. We are going to have to up it again for this France game.

“It’s exciting because we’ve got maximum points, but we’ve not played to our potential yet.”