Finn Russell’s latest World Cup disappointment has not dented his enthusiasm to play for Scotland as the talismanic stand-off declared he has no intention of making himself unavailable for the national team any time soon.
The 31-year-old was devastated to lose in the pool stages of the French Open in October for the second time in a row, but he told the PA news agency that he still had the same passion to wear the dark blue shirt.
When asked if his World Cup experience had made him less of an appetite for international rugby, he responded, “No, not at all.”
“If anything, it’s piqued my interest in playing for the national team again and trying to win some games and get a few more wins.”
Russell, who is only a few months younger than the former full-back, took a break from rugby in the summer after another Scotland star Stuart Hogg, who retired at the age of 31, aims to still be operating at a level that allows him to go to his fourth World Cup in 2027.
The fly-half, who recently joined Bath following five years in France with Racing 92, will turn 35 a week before the showpiece in Australia begins.
“Hopefully,” he said. “Age-wise, I’ll be able to make that. It’s just about whether or not I’m playing well enough, so hopefully I am. I’ve got no inclination to finish up any time soon internationally.”
This year’s World Cup, in which Scotland were well beaten by South Africa and Ireland, cut deep for Russell.
Instead of taking a holiday immediately afterwards, he chose to throw himself straight into club rugby with new side Bath, making his debut as a substitute against Newcastle just a week after the demoralising defeat by the Irish.
However, he has been in communication with head coach Gregor Townsend as one of Scotland’s vice captains to analyze the competition in order to make improvements for the forthcoming Six Nations.
“I didn’t have the opportunity to reflect on it as much as others might have because I came right into something new after the World Cup,” he remarked. But that seems OK to me. It’s something you think about occasionally.
“I spoke with Gregor over the phone to discuss how we might have performed better at the World Cup, how we could grow, and how we could utilize it as a teaching moment for the squad as a whole.
