'People ask:' Finn Russell on his Scotland Six Nations future and overtaking Gregor Townsend

Co-captain still has ‘plenty left’ for Scotland ahead of milestone moment

Finn Russell will win his 83rd Scotland cap on Saturday when he and Rory Darge lead out the national side against Italy at Murrayfield at the start of the latest quest to land the Six Nations Championship.

It’s an impressive tally, but doesn’t feel like a landmark figure. Except for the fact that it moves Russell ahead of national coach Gregor Townsend, whose international career was ended (prematurely) by the unlamented Matt Williams on 82 caps.

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Russell and Townsend are the pre-eminent Scotland stand-offs of the professional era, and perhaps of all time if you also include John Rutherford. But while Townsend and Rutherford both won Five Nations championships, the current man at No 10 has been thwarted.

Scotland co-captain Finn Russell lines up a kick ahead of facing Italy.Scotland co-captain Finn Russell lines up a kick ahead of facing Italy.
Scotland co-captain Finn Russell lines up a kick ahead of facing Italy. | SNS Group / SRU

This is Russell’s 11th Six Nations campaign and it was put to him on Friday that, at 32, there may not be too many left. His reply was immediate and accompanied by the trademark cheeky grin.

“I've still got plenty left! People ask that question, ‘how many more? Is it starting to play on your mind?’ And I don't think it is. If I start looking and thinking I've only got a few left then is that going to affect how I'm playing?

“I think I just need to keep trying to do my best to win every year, whether I am 25 or 32, I just need to keep doing what I can do to help this team win.”

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He stressed that it was important to “just play in the moment, play the season that's here, the games that are here and not to look too far ahead”.

“I'm not really thinking about the future in terms of retiring or finishing up with Scotland any time soon,” he added.

Which is just as well as Russell is in a rich vein of form. He has guided his club, Bath, to the top of the Premiership and made a try-scoring contribution in his last Scotland outing, helping the team to an impressive 27-13 win over Australia in November.

Sione Tuipulotu is missing for Scotland at this Six Nations.Sione Tuipulotu is missing for Scotland at this Six Nations.
Sione Tuipulotu is missing for Scotland at this Six Nations. | SNS Group

In the period between then and now Scotland have, of course, lost their skipper Sione Tuipulotu to an injury which will keep him out of the entire Six Nations. Stafford McDowall takes his place at inside centre while Russell and Rory Darge share the captaincy. Scott Cummings, Scotland’s dynamic second row, is also sidelined - by a broken arm - but Russell believes they have the resources to overcome such setbacks.

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“I think it's definitely one of the strongest Scotland teams I've been involved in,” he said. “I think the depth that we've got here just now is really good, just look at 12, Sione's injured and Cam Redpath's injured but then we've got Stafford and Rory Hutchinson there and either of them could have started this weekend, so that's brilliant depth.

“At 10 we've got myself, Tom Jordan, Fergus Burke and there's other boys who I've played with over the last couple of years - Adam Hastings, who is injured, and Ben Healy at Edinburgh.

“There's great strength and depth in the majority of positions, so I think it is a great Scottish team and Scottish squad that we've got. I think that depth allows us to really push our training standards and demand more of each other.”

Finn Russell scored a try against Australia in Scotland's last match.Finn Russell scored a try against Australia in Scotland's last match.
Finn Russell scored a try against Australia in Scotland's last match. | SNS Group / SRU

Crucially, Russell also believes there has been a shift in mindset. The fly-half voiced concerns about the squad’s mental toughness at the end of last season’s Six Nations campaign which saw the Scots beat Wales and England but lose to France, Italy and Ireland.

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“I think the last few years we've come in with some expectations and with the group that we've got, I think it's quite right to have those expectations,” he said. “I think we've come in with a real good mindset to this tournament, which in my opinion has been different to the last few or any of the ones I've been involved in, which is great to see.

“But I think we've got to focus now just on getting Saturday right and depending on the outcome, we'll get back on Monday and we'll reassess where we are and go again. And that's been a point we've been trying to drive this week, of not looking at winning the tournament just yet - that's obviously the goal for every team in it, but there's a long way to go before you get that title obviously.”

Scotland have not win the title since 1999 when Townsend famously scored a try in each match as Jim Telfer’s team won the final Five Nations. In truth, the current group haven’t come close to emulating that despite a squad stuffed full of talent. Third is the best finish they’ve achieved under Townsend and they have been placed fourth four times in the past five seasons.

Russell and Townsend haven’t always seen eye to eye but those two more than anyone hold the key to Scotland's success or otherwise. The stand-off revealed that the pair shared a nice moment after the Australia game.

Scotland head coach Gregor Townsend and Finn Russell.Scotland head coach Gregor Townsend and Finn Russell.
Scotland head coach Gregor Townsend and Finn Russell. | SNS Group

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“He came over and made a joke along the lines of, ‘that’s you finally made it’ or something like that. He shook my hand and we had a can of beer together and he congratulated me on reaching the same amount of caps as him.

“I think it'll be obviously nice going ahead of Gregor but it's not the main goal on Saturday. The goal tomorrow is to get that win. Hopefully we win tomorrow and then I'll see if he's happy or if he's not. But it's just another thing. You don't really look at these things, the bigger goal is winning the tournament and winning the game tomorrow. It’s not getting my 83rd cap, it's the bigger picture.”

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