Bottle-throwing probe launched

OFFICIALS are investigating ugly scenes at Murrayfield on Saturday where Neil Craig, a member of England’s back-room staff, was struck on the head by a plastic bottle. Although the bottle was empty and caused the high performance manager no injury, Eddie Jones raised concerns about the incident, which occurred after the England team coach had arrived at the stadium. With fans crowded on stairs and walkways above the vehicle, there was a typically hostile reception, including boos and abusive gestures. Jones was angry over what he saw as a deliberate act. ‘We weren’t expecting beer bottles to be thrown, that’s a new trick,’ Jones said. ‘It’s a pretty good achievement, throwing beer bottles. You’ve got to be brave to throw a beer bottle. Neil has a hard head, and there’s not much inside it! He’ll be all right.’ Asked if there was a possibility the RFU would make a formal complaint, Jones added: ‘It’s not going to do anything is it? Everybody knows about it, so someone can do something about it. It’s not good behaviour. If that’s how the Scottish fans will be respectful, then we have to acknowledge it and get on with it.’ The Scottish RU claimed last night there was no evidence the bottle was thrown, or that it hit anyone. But Nik Simon, the Mail on Sunday rugby correspondent, witnessed the incident and confirmed that Craig was struck. Ellis Genge, England’s try-scorer in the 13-6 win, was outraged. ‘That’s out of order,’ the Leicester prop said. ‘I’ll tell you for a fact, if that happened at Twickenham — which it never does — we’d be getting called “English this” and “English that”, and “Can’t believe the lack of respect from the English”. But it happens at Murrayfield and everyone is happy about it.’