Rivalry with Scots is just as fierce as ever, says Youngs
But Youngs says Scots’ hostility will spur England to continue record run
BEN YOUNGS has fanned the flames ahead of England’s eagerly anticipated Calcutta Cup clash with Scotland by claiming historic animosity between the nations is as fierce today as ever.
Eddie Jones’s men can equal the world record of 18 successive wins if they beat their oldest rivals at Twickenham next Saturday.
Former Scotland coach Jim Telfer has labelled England ‘too arrogant and too pretentious’ and Youngs insists there is no love lost between the current groups of players.
‘I don’t think you need much more incentive than the fact it is England against Scotland,’ said Youngs. ‘I can’t say there is too much love between the two nations and there certainly isn’t in this side either. That rivalry has been there way before I played for England.’
The match will be the 135th running of sport’s oldest rivalry.
BEN YOUNGS was not even born when Scotland last beat England at Twickenham but he is old enough to appreciate the fierce historic rivalry which has sometimes spilt over into open hostility between the two nations.
The 27-year-old England scrumhalf, on the bench against Italy last Sunday but expected to start in Saturday’s Calcutta Cup clash, is only too aware of the passion the fixture inspires between two sets of supporters that former Scotland coach Jim Telfer claims could not be more different.
‘I don’t think you need much more incentive than the fact it is England against Scotland,’ said Youngs. ‘I can’t say there is too much love between the two nations and there certainly isn’t in this side either. That rivalry has been there way before I played for England.’
The fixture dates back to 1871, when Scotland hosted England in a 20-a-side game at Raeburn Place in Edinburgh, and next Saturday will see the 135th running of sport’s oldest rivalry.
‘That rivalry has been huge down the years and I don’t think that has changed,’ said Youngs, whose father Nick sat on England’s bench in 1983 when they lost 22-12 at home to a Scotland side coached by none other than Telfer himself.
‘It’s the Calcutta Cup and you rarely get those weeks. When you play Wales you get that sort of week and Scotland is another where you get that bit of edge around training.’
Four years ago Telfer, who contrary to some reports did not play in the 1871 fixture, aimed one of his seemingly annual verbal torpedoes at England, labelling Youngs and his team-mates ‘too arrogant, too pretentious and too condescending’. This year, the 76-year-old took aim slightly earlier than normal in January, comparing Eddie Jones to Donald Trump, describing Twickenham as a ‘concrete jungle’ populated by fans from the south of England with ‘bags of money’ who sneer at ‘pleb’ visitors.
Telfer conveniently overlooks Scottish rugby’s own foundations in the country’s top public schools and association with the aristocratic classes dating back to the days of enforced amateurism and muscular Christianity. But let’s not allow facts to dilute Jim’s latest and all-too-predictable rant.
‘He always does it,’ said Youngs. ‘He came at me a couple of years ago and I have never even met the bloke. He probably hasn’t had good experiences at Twickenham if they haven’t won for 34 years, which is probably why he has got that opinion.
‘I am sure he will come out again. When you got to Australia, David Campese and all come out. I am sure there will be some bits said over the next few days, but the thing that is important is Saturday, so we will leave it until then.’
Eighty-two thousand fans will once again be inside Twickenham on Saturday as England look to produce a vastly improved first-half display from the one which saw them bamboozled by Italy’s no-ruck tactics last Sunday. Whether Telfer is there remains to be seen.
England’s players have been keen to draw a line this week under their horribly laboured response to the Azzurri’s tactics. Youngs, a member of the squad’s leadership group, insists the same mistakes will not be made again if Scotland attempt the no-ruck trick.
‘If Scotland come with a similar tactic, then yes we have a plan,’ said Youngs. ‘We know what we need to do in that scenario. We don’t want to give away our secrets but if it happens again we’ll be in a great position to combat it.
‘Each to their own. We are equipped to know what to do now and if it happens again we will be able to combat that.’
While England eventually ran out comfortable winners, scoring five second-half tries as Italy wilted, the lingering doubts over their first-half display remain.
With Vern Cotter’s Scotland team buoyant after back-to-back home wins over Ireland and Wales, broken up by a narrow loss to France in Paris, it is easy to forget it is Jones’s team that goes into next Saturday’s in search of a worldrecord equalling 18th straight win.
Youngs has no doubt the opportunity of putting an end to England’s remarkable unbeaten run under Jones will be firmly in Scottish minds.
‘It’s no coincidence — we have played France, Wales, Italy and everyone has raised their game,’ he said.
‘Everyone is saying Wales played their best game in two or three years, same with the French, so that is a lesson to us all. Every time we play a team they are going to raise their game — they don’t need much more motivation than playing England and ending this run.
‘They want to be the team that does that. We are coping well with that and really starting to understand that and are working to bring that extra bit.’
But doesn’t the record add an unwanted burden of expectation on the shoulders of England’s players?
‘No,’ said Youngs. ‘It brings excitement because the outside public have expectation in this England side. That’s great because people have confidence in us which makes us feel good and brings us confidence. It makes us feel like we’re doing the right things and going about our business the right way.’
Get their business wrong next Saturday and the dream of a backto-back Grand Slam will be over. That would be one for the history book. Expect Jim to remind England of that.