Russell eyes All Blacks win — Finn Russell has dismissed any suggestion that his career is winding down and set his sights on a landmark result when Scotland face New Zealand at Murrayfield on Saturday. The fly-half, who will win his 96th cap, is central to Scotland’s hopes of ending a 121-year wait for a victory over the All Blacks, and he makes no secret of the opportunity in front of the team.
Speaking on the BBC Scotland Rugby Podcast, Russell joked that people treat him as though he is a decade older than his 34 years. He explained that the season following a British and Irish Lions tour takes a heavy toll mentally, physically and emotionally, and that returning to the same level the next year is difficult. This year, however, he feels fresher and is in good shape heading into the autumn campaign.
A career still building
Russell’s list of achievements is already substantial: title wins with Glasgow Warriors and Bath, a European final with Racing 92, three Lions tours and 95 Scotland caps. Saturday will mark his 100th international appearance when Lions Tests are included. Yet a first piece of silverware with the national team would, he accepts, sit above everything else.
Scotland have shown what they are capable of. They dismantled an England side on a 12-match winning run at Murrayfield in the last Six Nations, scored 50 points against a France team that had appeared destined for the Grand Slam, and ran in seven tries against Argentina in Cordoba during the summer. A week later they scored four tries in Pretoria and gave South Africa a serious scare. The challenge, as Russell knows, is producing that level when a tournament is on the line.
The conversion question
Asked how Scotland move from a very good side to a title-winning one, Russell called it the million-dollar question. He pointed to the summer matches as evidence of where the growth must come. Against Argentina, Scotland were ruthless when they reached the 22. Against South Africa, they created more entries but converted at roughly half the rate. Improving that conversion rate, he said, is the main area for development.
Saturday will be only Russell’s fourth meeting with New Zealand in more than 12 years of international rugby, a consequence of a calendar that has historically limited how often the top sides face each other. The new Nations Championship format is designed to change that and give Scotland more exposure to the southern hemisphere’s leading teams. Even so, the fly-half is aware that chances to be part of a first Scottish win over the All Blacks are limited. After this match, Scotland travel to Dunedin for their final game before next year’s World Cup.
Close defeats, clear belief
Russell’s three previous encounters with New Zealand all ended in narrow defeats, each painful in its own way, but he believes Scotland have learned from them. He expects an exciting occasion at Murrayfield and said the squad will study recent All Blacks footage from their matches against South Africa and Australia. He also noted that the players know New Zealand’s coaching staff well, including head coach Dave Rennie and assistant Mike Blair, and expects them to have plans to attack and defend against Scotland.
Belief, Russell stressed, is not the issue. Delivering on the field and turning that belief into results is what matters. Scotland have the opportunity on Saturday to consign the long wait to history before travelling to New Zealand, and Russell is determined to make the most of it.
