Finn Russell says Scotland must convert 42-28 South Africa near-miss into wins

Finn Russell believes Scotland must stop settling for narrow defeats and start securing consistent victories if they want to compete for major trophies this autumn. The Bath Rugby fly-half pointed to the team's performance in their 42-28 loss to South Africa in July as evidence that the squad is within touching distance of success.

Russell acknowledged the positive signs from the summer campaign, which included a significant away win against Argentina. However, he emphasized that the close contest with the Springboks highlighted a recurring pattern of falling just short.

"It was great to have a good performance but that was a game that we had enough chances where we definitely should have won that," Russell said. He noted that while there were positives, the team needs to improve its ability to close out games.

The fly-half warned against the volatility seen in the previous Six Nations, where a large victory over France was followed by a loss to Ireland. He argued that the team cannot rely on sporadic high points to sustain a tournament challenge.

"We need to be winning these games back to back to challenge to win tournaments," Russell stated. He stressed that the squad must build on their summer form and beat top-tier opponents consistently rather than merely running them close.

Russell concluded that the current period is a critical opportunity for the national team to transform their potential into tangible results. He urged the squad to kick on from their summer performances and establish a rhythm of wins that supports a title bid.