Finn Russell Eyes Historic All Blacks Victory on 100th Test Cap

Scotland's star fly-half, Finn Russell, is targeting an unprecedented victory over the New Zealand All Blacks next Saturday, a feat that would coincide with his 100th cap in Test rugby. Scotland has never defeated the All Blacks in 33 previous encounters, despite coming close in recent matches.

The upcoming fixture at Murrayfield is part of Scotland's Nations Championship campaign and will see Gregor Townsend's squad face a New Zealand team recently revitalized under former Glasgow Warriors coach Dave Rennie.

Russell, who has earned 95 caps for Scotland and four for the British and Irish Lions, views a win against the formidable New Zealand side as the ideal way to commemorate his milestone.

"Assuming I play next weekend that is, it would be pretty cool to have 100 Test caps," Russell stated. "We’ve got a Sunday game the week after [against Australia], so we could have a couple of drinks after. A couple of champagnes to celebrate. We’ll see. Beating New Zealand is definitely the goal."

Having turned 34 last month, Russell is under contract with Bath until the summer of 2028, with previous successes including winning the Premiership and the European Challenge Cup. He is not considering retirement from international rugby in the near future, feeling he still has a significant amount to offer.

"Because I’m 34 now, everyone’s asking me what I’m going to do after," he said. "But I’m not close to thinking about finishing up anything soon, so I’m not really thinking too much about life after."

While Russell has some investments in property, he remains undecided about coaching. He expressed interest in individual consultancy work, assisting teams or players with specific areas like attack, finding it a potentially appealing alternative to the daily grind of team management.

"I think after having been in the rugby world and the cycle, the system, the schedule for so long, something different would be quite nice and would be a fresh start," he explained. "It’s easier for me to say that now when I’m in it I think. In three years time, I’ll probably have a different answer for you."

Russell's current contract with Bath runs for this year and next. He stated that while he loves playing for the club, contract situations can change. He is committed to continuing his playing career as long as he enjoys it, drawing parallels to Jonny Sexton, who retired at 39, indicating no specific age or cap target for his own departure from the sport.