‘It’s still there’ – Finn Russell still haunted by World Cup ‘disappointment’

Bath fly-half Finn Russell admits that he is still disappointed and frustrated by Scotland’s Rugby World Cup campaign.

Scotland headed into the tournament with arguably their best-ever squad but underwhelmed at the global event, failing to progress past the pool stages.

They were drawn in Pool B alongside eventual champions South Africa and then world number one, Ireland. While Scotland claimed comprehensive wins over Romania and Tonga, they fell short against the Springboks and Ireland and exited the tournament early.

Getting over Scotland’s disappointing World Cup

Prior to the World Cup, Russell had signed a deal to join Premiership outfit Bath from French giants Racing 92, and the playmaker wasted no time in settling into his new club and made his debut just seven days after Scotland’s final game against Ireland.

“I came straight back in here the week afterwards, mainly so I didn’t have to deal with it,” Russell explained.

“It was a case of getting on to the next thing and getting rid of the disappointment and frustration I had. It’s still there. Maybe in three months’ time, when I come back from the Six Nations, it might kick in because I’ve not given myself time to potentially get over it. I think I’m over it, but I never know what’s going to come around the corner when I get back into the Scotland stuff.

“I think what made it even more frustrating was the team we’ve got just now and the way we’re playing; it’s one of the best teams I’ve played in for Scotland. Obviously, the draw was tough, but that’s sport, and that’s the way it goes. We still could have done better than we did, and maybe in time, I’ll look back and be more frustrated or maybe not, I’m not sure.”

Setting goals

Looking ahead, Russell is still upbeat and eyeing new individual targets as he aims to look back at his career with less regret.

“I’m 31, I might have another World Cup in me, I might not,” he said.

“You never know what is around the corner. Because it’s only once every four years, it’s definitely frustrating when you get that chance, and you don’t quite manage to achieve as much as you wanted.

“Someone asked me this question: is the journey enough, or is it the silverware that counts? I’m not sure. Hopefully, I don’t have to ask myself this question in five or seven years or however long it is. There are certain individual goals I’ll try and achieve; it could even be the small things like top points scorer of the year might be enough. It’s quite a hard question to answer just now when I’m still playing and still trying to achieve.

“I would love to have won more titles with Racing 92 and Glasgow and with Scotland, obviously. But I still think I’ve got enough time to win some titles. In three-four years’ time, that’s when I might start looking back and thinking: ‘If I’d done this or that differently, would it have been a different outcome?'”

Although Russell has one eye on the Lions tour, his main objective is to win some silverware. The playmaker has made an immediate impact at Bath, helping the side win five of their opening eight Premiership matches, which has seen them head into the December break ranked second on the league table.

British and Irish Lions, Scotland and Bath targets

The men in blue, black and white also got their Champions Cup campaign off to a perfect start, defeating a strong Ulster side 37-14 at the Rec.

Russell believes that good performances at Bath will lead to further success on the international stage.

“On a personal level, obviously, the Lions tour is just over a year and a half away. Currently, for me, it’s just about doing as well as I can here. I want to win silverware,” he said.

“I’ve not won anything since 2015, so that’s my main goal just now. If I’m doing the job here, you never know what might happen off the back of that.

“But getting silverware is the most important thing right now, whether that’s in Europe or in the Premiership.

“And when I get into the Scotland camp for the Six Nations, I’ll be focused on trying to get something there. I think that’s probably the best way to try and get over the disappointment of the World Cup.”

Bath are on the road for their second Champions Cup fixture and will face Cardiff this weekend.

As for Scotland, Gregor Townsend is set to name his squad for the Six Nations in January, with their opening game of the tournament against Wales at the Principality Stadium on February 3.

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