Madigan: Sexton the master of disguise but Russell the standout ten

'Finn is an absolute joy to watch. If it doesn’t work out for him he just rolls on. It’s like water off a duck’s back and he doesn’t go into his shell. He has also turned into a very high-percentage player.'

PLAYMAKERS: Scotland's Finn Russell and Ireland's Jonathan Sexton. Pic: ©INPHO/Dan Sheridan

They are rugby’s ringmasters. Conductors whose job it is to put a modicum of order and direction on the chaos and the noise that surrounds and sometimes engulfs them, but the job of Test level out-half has changed with the game and with the times.

Gone are the days when the No.10 was the funnel for every attacking play. Dual playmakers are ten-a-penny, teams use a variety of first receivers to keep defences guessing, and Ireland’s use of ‘untidy’ wingers speaks for the extra layers stitched in to today’s game.