6N: Finn Russell believes improved mindset can spur Scotland on
01/31/2025 05:00 PM
FOR any athlete, in any sport, there is a big difference between believing you can win and actually knowing you can win – and when it comes to the current Scotland squad, not a single player knows what it is like to win the Six Nations title. Even so, a significant number of the squad have either won trophies or at least reached finals at club level over the past year – and co-captain Finn Russell, one of that number, believes that has led to a signicant improvement in the mindset of the group.
Speaking after some last-minute kicking practice at Murrayfield today ahead of tomorrow’s match against Italy, the 32-year-old stand-off made it clear that he believes the current Italian side is the strongest he will have come up against in his 11-year international career. But he is also confident that the present Scotland squad is one of the strongest he has been involved in, with the Glasgow contingent having won the URC, Blair Kinghorn the Top 14 and Champions Cup with Toulouse, and Rory Hutchinson (not in today’s 23) the English Premiership with Northampton. Russell’s Bath were the losing finalists in that latter match, but he could never be accused of lacking the big-game mentality.
"I think we’ve come in with a real good mindset this tournament, which in my opinion has been different to the last few or any of the ones I’ve been involved in,” he said. "Out of the boys that are playing and in the squad this weekend, there’s more than half of us that have been either in finals or won finals over the last year. I think that’s probably changed the mindset and it’s a great thing that that’s what’s happening.
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"In the past, you think what it’s like to win – a lot of boys hadn’t won anything. And now we’ve got half the team that’s won stuff. So I think the mindset has changed in a really good way and a positive way.
"It’s definitely one of the strongest Scotland teams I’ve been involved in. I think the depth that we’ve got here just now is really good. Just look at 12: Sione [Tuipulotu] is injured and Cam Redpath is injured, but then we’ve got Stafford [McDowall] and Rory Hutchinson there, so that’s brilliant depth."
Italy may not have the same depth, but Russell warned that when you play them you should always expect the unexpected. "I believe it’s the best, the strongest, Italian team that I’ve faced,” he explained. "Over the past few years Italy have always had something different and something up their sleeves. So it’s going to be interesting to see if they have something for tomorrow and how we adapt to that."
Russell is set to reach a personal landmark tomorrow when he and co-captain Rory Darge lead the team out. It will be his 83rd appearance for his country – one more cap than head coach Gregor Townsend, whose own tally he equalled against Australia in last year’s Autumn Nations Series.
"I’ve not mentioned that to him," Russell said. "I’ve not got on the pitch yet – so he might injure me in the walk through!
"But after the last game against Australia he came over and made a joke, like, 'That's you finally made it'. 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.
"It’ll be nice going ahead of Gregor – but it’s not the main goal. Hopefully we win tomorrow and then I’ll see if he’s happy or if he’s not. But 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."
Winning the tournament is a goal that Townsend himself achieved back in 1999, when Scotland became the last ever winners of the Five Nations in the year before the Italians made it Six. Russell’s chances of emulating his coach in that regard are clearly running out – he has more career years behind him than he has in front of him – but he insisted that he did not let such thoughts prey on his mind.
"I’ve still got plenty left! People ask that question, 'How many more? Is it starting to play in 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 was 25 or 32, I just need to keep doing what I can do to help this team win.
"To put it all on this end result, I think getting the week to week done right and knowing that hopefully I’ve got another few years left but there’s still time, it doesn’t take away how much we want to win it. But I think I don’t need that added stress or pressure on myself or the boys."
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