Chris Cusiter says he is ready to shake off Scotland's World Cup disappointment and prove to French rugby fans that he is a winner.
The Lions scrum-half will link up with his new club Perpignan this week and his priority will be to convince the club's management he should go straight into their starting line-up.
Before the World Cup, the former Borders captain was Scotland coach Frank Hadden's first-choice No.9, but a pre-tournament injury gave Mikey Blair the chance to leapfrog him, leaving the frustrated Cusiter on the bench in the most important clashes against Italy and Argentina.
He declared: "Obviously I would have liked more starts, but that is the way it has gone. "I felt I was in good form, but getting injured against Ireland in the warm-up game at Murrayfield set me back.
"Selection is one of those things that either goes for you or it doesn't, and hopefully I'll get more chances.
"I am in good nick going to Perpignan and I am hugely excited about the challenges that await.
"The Six Nations is looming and I want to be involved, but at the moment it feels like a long way off.
"I have a lot of things to do between now and then. The first thing is to settle in at Perpignan, learn the language, try to get a starting spot there and help them get some wins.
"Being on the bench is a different sort of role. It is 25 minutes of intense work, but starting games is a different proposition, and it would be good to get back into the rhythm of that.
"Despite the disappointment of losing the quarter-final to Argentina at the weekend, I reckon it has been a great tournament.
"Some of the results over the last couple of weeks have really blown the thing wide open.
"The French public take a lot of credit for the way they have supported the games. Some matches may not have looked all that glamorous yet have attracted sell-out attendances.
"There is sure to be a carry-on effect on the club game and I'm looking forward to playing in front of 15,000 every week at Perpignan, where the punters are absolutely crazy about rugby."
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