Finn Russell has dismissed the statements that time could be exhausted to win with Scotland, insisting that he feels as fresh as ever in the six nations.
Half the 32 -year flight will seek to inspire the Scottish to victory when they receive Italy in their inaugural match in Murrayfield. Russell is now at the best moment of his career, with his performances at club level helping Bath to sit at the top of the English Premier League.
But it has been a different story with the national team, with an inconsistent side of often flattering to deceive in recent years.
Some critics have suggested that time could be exhausted if the Gregor Towsend team must finally meet its potential and win a title of six nations.
Russell has constantly rejected any retirement talk and has previously stated that he feels sure he can play until the next World Cup in at least 2027.
He insists that he does not feel any additional pressure despite the fact that he can now have a few years at the higher level.
Finn Russell, 32, rejects the claims that he is running out of time to win a trophy with Scotland
Russell says he plays at the time and has not thought about when he could retire
Russell says that players like Blair Kinghorn have brought a new mentality to the Scotland team
“I still have a lot,” Russell said. 'People ask that question: “How many more? Are you starting to play in your mind?
'I don't think it is. If I start looking and think that I only have (possibilities), will that affect how I am playing?
'I think I just need to continue trying to do everything possible to win every year, whether I was 25 or 32 years old, I just need to continue doing what I can do to help this team win.
'If I start seeing it as if it ended in a few years, then what will happen if I didn't win anything, would you believe in that (as if it were to happen).
'I only think he only plays at the time, he plays the season that is here, the games that are here and do not look very far.
'But I'm not really thinking about the future in terms of retiring or ending Scotland in the short term.
'I am not too stressed. It is (covered winner) is not something that I am putting stress or pressure on myself so that this happens and acts differently.
I hope they have other years. There is still time, but it doesn't take away how much we want to win it. I do not need that additional stress or pressure on myself or children.
Scotland will begin as strong favorites to overcome a team of Italy that has made significant advances in recent years.
The Azzurri beat Scotland and Wales in the championship last year, and entered a mustache to defeat France while drawing 13-13 in Lille.
Russell freely admits that it is the best team in Italy he has faced throughout his career, but is confident that Scotland is now prepared to challenge.
“It is the best and strongest Italian team that I have faced,” said Russell, who co-capitalizes Scotland with Rory Darge in the absence of Soone Tuipulotu.
'But it is definitely one of the strongest teams of Scotland in which I have been involved as well. There is a great strength and depth in most positions, so I think it is a great Scottish team and a Scottish squad that we have.
'If you look at the team we have, Glasgow won the league last year. Blair (Kinghorn) won double last year with Toulouse, in Bath we were close.
'But that is a lot of experience to take. Obviously, it is only a title and a couple to Blair, but you take a lot of experience of winning and what builds a culture of winning team.
'I would not say that it is something we have talked about and we made a conscious effort to change. I think it happened naturally.
'Of the boys who are playing and in the team this weekend, there are more than half of us that we have been in the late or won finals during the last year.
'So I think that has definitely changed. I think that has probably changed the mentality and is a great thing.
'In the past, you think what it is to win. Many children had not won anything and now we have half of the team that has won things. So I think that mentality has changed in a very good and positive way.
In terms of outside the field, Russell believes that Rugby has lost the opportunity to be marketed with a new audience as plans for a third season of the Netflix Six Nations series, it seems that it will be discarded.
It is now understood that Netflix is closing its budgets in more live sporting events, such as boxing, NFL wrestling and WWE.
The format of the Six Nations series, which is broadcast a year after it was filmed, has been unpopular with fans.
But Russell believes that the lack of access behind the scene was also partly guilty.
“The Netflix series, I think, helps to show that the other side of rugby and the players,” Russell said. 'It is good for sport to grow.
'I am not sure how much access they got behind the scene and how much they were allowed to do through the different unions.
“I am quite relaxed with most things, so I say:” Well, why not let them see everything “I think it was good for this sport, so it is a shame that they are not doing another. ''