Just over a year after being selected for the British and Irish Lions by a coaching panel which included Gregor Townsend, it surely came as a shock to Finn Russell to find out he is now not considered one of Scotland's top three fly-halves.

That episode spoke of a lingering wedge between Russell and Townsend, which has not fully healed since their very public falling out in 2020.

For Townsend to take on Australia, Fiji, New Zealand and Argentina this autumn without his one-time protege only underlines that point.

When the news broke on Tuesday night that Russell would not be selected, fans on social media were searching for straws to clutch.

Maybe Russell had been given time off to prepare for the arrival of his first child, which is due next month? Not so. Russell is fit and available and was "disappointed" to be told his services are not required, said Townsend.

The head coach urged Russell to find form and consistency to force his way back into contention. Which is all very well, but if this is a rugby issue rather than personal one, why not allow Russell to make his case as part of the squad?

To suggest a man of Russell's talent and experience is no better than fourth-choice fly-half behind the recently converted Blair Kinghorn, Adam Hastings and Ross Thompson, who has been injured for most of this season, is stretching credibility.

This feels like a calculated gamble on Townsend's part. An admission that he is no longer the man to harness Russell, to make him a positive influence on and off the field.

It seems the coach has decided he's not willing to put all his chips down on a player who is no longer on the same page, tactically or personally.

When questioned on whether Russell can return to play a part in the Six Nations or next year's World Cup, Townsend's response was lukewarm at best, saying he did not wish to look that far ahead.

The coach dismissed any notion that binning Russell was connected to the ill-advised night out during the Six Nations. And he offered an identical response when asked if Stuart Hogg had paid the price for his part by having the captaincy removed and handed to Jamie Ritchie.

It may not have been the decisive factor, but there is no doubt that episode damaged both players.

The mood music coming out of the Scotland camp was that the team environment was as good as it has ever been on the summer tour to Argentina.

That was a tour that saw several of the senior players rested, including Russell and Hogg, as Scotland lost the series 2-1 to the Pumas.

The captaincy meant everything to Hogg. He asked for the job after the 2019 World Cup debacle and spoke often at his pride in leading his country. How he responds to being stripped of that honour will be key to getting this Scotland team moving forward again.

Townsend described Hogg as "our best player" who he wants to free up and return to his best rugby.

It's true that at the tail-end of the Six Nations, with the team underperforming and under siege after the "Boozegate" incident, the captaincy seemed to be weighing heavily on the Exeter full-back.

Maybe being relieved of that responsibility will be the catalyst for Hogg to rediscover the form that made him one of the finest attacking players in Scotland's history.

But Russell and Hogg have been the twin totems on which much of Scotland's resurgence in recent years has been built.

Together they have produced some magical moments and momentous triumphs for Scotland, but one is now out of the squad and another has had his role diminished.

A year out from the Rugby World Cup, it feels a lot like Townsend is pressing the reset button.

Replacing your captain and binning your chief playmaker at this stage of a World Cup cycle does not suggest a carefully crafted plan coming together at the right time.

It suggests jump leads being applied in an attempt to get the stalled Scottish engine running again.

These are bold moves by Townsend, and in the case of Russell, a largely unpopular one with the Scotland fans.

If it does not yield an improvement in performances this autumn, those fans will have plenty to say.