The key facts

  • Finn Russell (95 Scotland caps) urged the team to 'stack up wins' instead of 'heroic defeats'
  • Scotland have never beaten New Zealand — the first attempt comes in November in the Nations Championship
  • The team face three tournaments in 12 months: the Nations Championship, the Six Nations and the 2027 World Cup in Australia

Russell: the era of 'heroic defeats' is over

Finn Russell, the 34-year-old Bath playmaker who has played for Scotland since 2014 and earned 95 caps for his country, said he wants to help the team achieve the consistency needed to win a major tournament. According to him, a year with three major events lies ahead, culminating in the 2027 World Cup in Australia. The report comes from AFP.

Three tournaments in 12 months

'There are three competitions over the next 12 months: the Nations Championship over the next four weeks, then the Six Nations and, of course, the World Cup,' Russell said on Wednesday. He stressed that during his time with the national team, Scotland has never won a tournament, and called such an opportunity 'amazing'. Scotland currently sit second in the Nations Championship northern hemisphere table, with three tough matches ahead before the finals weekend at Twickenham at the end of November.

What held them back and what is changing

Russell admitted that consistency remains the main problem for Gregor Townsend's side, which has nevertheless risen to sixth in the world rankings. In July, the Scots lost heavily to the reigning world champions, South Africa, 28:42 away, but in Russell's assessment they played well and had enough chances to 'definitely should have won that match'. Before that came a big away win over Argentina. 'We had good matches in the summer, and now we need to take the next step and beat the top teams, not just lose to them narrowly,' he said.

Historical barriers

In their upcoming matches, Scotland will have to break two long-standing streaks: in November at home against New Zealand, the team will seek a first win over the All Blacks since their inaugural meeting in 1905, while success in the next Six Nations would likely require ending a decade-long run of defeats to Ireland. 'We can't beat France convincingly and then lose to Ireland, as happened in the Six Nations. We need to stack up wins one after another,' Russell concluded.