As soon as Adam Hastings was ruled out of the rest of Scotland’s autumn series through injury, there was only one man Gregor Townsend could turn to, whether he wanted to or not.

Since his non-selection, supposedly based on “form and consistency”, Russell has been tearing it up for Racing in the Top 14, a not-so-subtle reminder of his abilities.

Crucially, he is also kicking his goals, which proved to be Scotland’s downfall in the defeat to Australia.

Now that Russell is back in camp, the dilemma for Townsend is how to use him, if at all. When the team is announced to face the All Blacks on Sunday, Scottish eyes will be focused on the 10 jersey above all others.

Let’s get this out of the way. Ross Thompson is a very good young fly-half, who has impressed for Glasgow Warriors since he started playing senior rugby, but there is no chance he starts on Sunday.

The 23-year-old is in the squad as the third choice 10 – he is there to learn from senior players and develop his game for chances down the road.

Ultimately the choice for Townsend comes down to two names: Russell and Blair Kinghorn.

The man in possession?

Kinghorn was seemingly the man Townsend had put his trust in after Russell was jettisoned at the end of the Six Nations.

A convert to fly-half having played most of his early career on the wing or at full-back, the Edinburgh man had started five Tests in a row before the Fiji game, and looked odds-on to start next year’s World Cup at number 10.

However, in the first game of the autumn series, despite playing well overall and scoring a superb individual try, Kinghorn missed the late penalty that would have won it, and was subsequently benched for the Fiji clash.

Having invested so much in Kinghorn, is Townsend willing to simply cast him aside and parachute Russell in? It would appear to be muddled thinking at best, an unbelievably poor piece of man-management at worst.

Then again, can Russell really be brought back amid so much fanfare, and for such a big game, to not start? If Scotland are to have any chance against New Zealand, they need an 80-minute performance of the highest standard, and they need their best players in order to do that.

Play them both?

Another option, one that would ease the burden and expectation, and indeed one that pundits have suggested Scotland try in the past, is that Russell and Kinghorn are deployed together at 10 and 12.

Not only would that axis add an extra playmaker, it would also allow Scotland to attack both sides of the breakdown, and could best utilise Kinghorn’s running power.

Townsend has sprung many a selection surprise during his reign as head coach, but to pair his two fly-halves together would be up there with the boldest of them.

Lose-lose?

Truthfully, Townsend cannot really win in this scenario.

If he names Russell on the bench, the pressure on Kinghorn will be immense, unfair almost. Every single pass, kick and carry that Kinghorn makes will be scrutinised and compared to what Russell might have done in the same scenario.

Equally, if Russell starts, can he possibly live up to the expectation?

If he does and helps to deliver a first ever win over New Zealand, it would be quite the turnaround for a man whose international future was up in the air just a couple of weeks ago.