Finn Russell’s Scotland career could be over after his Autumn Nations Series omission, says Peter Wright.

The pair have endured a strained relationship in recent seasons.

“Gregor’s pretty much saying he is not taking Finn to the World Cup,” former Scotland prop Wright told BBC Scotland.

“Reading between the lines, if Kinghorn and Hastings play well, it could be the end of his Scotland career.”

Russell has been Scotland’s front-line fly-half since his debut in 2014, helping Glasgow to a maiden Pro12 title a year later, before earning a lucrative move to his current Parisian club.

There has been discord between Russell and Townsend, most notably in 2020, when the play-maker left the team camp on the eve of the Six Nations over a controversial “breach of team protocol” and later publicly criticised his coach’s methods.

Russell was one of six players who made an unsanctioned visit to an Edinburgh pub after Scotland’s win over Italy in March, and was left out of the final championship match against Ireland.

Edinburgh’s Kinghorn started all three July Tests against Argentina as Russell was rested, while Glasgow Warrior Thompson has only played 21 minutes of rugby this season owing to injury.

“Finn has played just about every minute for Racing this season,” Wright added. “He’s been up and down, but he played against Montpellier, the French champions, on Saturday and scored 18 points, assisted three tries, had a brilliant game.

“That’s Finn. Finn will be like, ‘I’ll show you’. That’s what he can do.

“He’s not played badly for Racing, he has been pretty consistent, he is kicking goals, he is looking a lot slimmer. Gregor’s rationale doesn’t marry up.

“I would rather he came out and said, ‘Finn’s a complete distraction in the squad, and we believe that not having him in the squad makes it stronger’. At least there’s credibility in that.

“Him coming out and saying form and performance when Ross Thompson has hardly played and Blair Kinghorn is still learning the role, I don’t believe there is credibility in that.”

Former Scotland fly-half Ruaridh Jackson likened the Russell-Townsend dynamic to that of Erik ten Hag and Cristiano Ronaldo at Manchester United.

Ten Hag has vowed to “deal” with the Portugal forward after Ronaldo refused to come on as a substitute and left Old Trafford before full-time at a recent Premier League match.

“I’d have Finn in the squad,” said Jackson. “I don’t think there’s a 10 in Scotland who is close to Finn.

“In Scotland, you don’t get many world-class players, and Finn on his day is one of the best fly-halves in the world, and can win you a game.

“You could look at Erik ten Hag with Cristiano Ronaldo, is he taking one guy out for the sake of the culture of the squad? But say the real reasons.

“There are a lot of smoke and mirrors still, I don’t really see why you’d keep him out.”