After this show, we can travel to Ireland and win

AT THE full-time whistle, I just could not stop smiling. These are the kind of days you live for as a sportsman or woman, the chance to take on your big rivals and beat them in front of your home fans.

BT Murrayfield was rocking at the start and it was even louder at the end, with Gregor Townsend’s team having put in an amazing performance to win a thrilling encounter.

The match, as always, had been hyped up all week and then there appeared to be a scuffle in the tunnel before things even got underway, which gave Scotland more fire in their bellies.

Not that they needed it. Right from the kick-off, they took the game to England.

From the very first tackle when they managed to knock the visitors back, Eddie Jones’ men would have known they were in for a real contest.

The first Huw Jones try settled Scotland and from that point on, they controlled the first half.

To go in leading 22-6 at the break would have left a lot of their fans in dreamland, but Gregor, John Barclay and the other leaders in the Scots camp would also have known that a backlash was coming from England.

After the interval, they got the try through Owen Farrell and threatened on a number of other occasions, but the home defence did not waver from their task and kept making the tackles that mattered.

At the breakdown, the Scots were also immense and that was a key as to why the English gave away so many penalties.

England did have a try disallowed, and Danny Care also thought he was in for one. But, on both occasions, referee Nigel Owens made the right calls.

The replays showed that scrum-half Care was offside and when the TMO was in action, it was clear to see that Courtney Lawes’ hand had knocked the ball on when he was making the tackle on Barclay.

Both were marginal calls and at this level of sport small things make a big difference — but they were the correct calls. That is why Owens is the best referee in the world. He stays so calm under pressure and is consistent and fair to both sides.

In the last ten minutes, with the score at 25-13, England threw everything at Scotland, but Townsend’s men were not going to be beaten and the joy on the players’ faces said it all at full-time. This was deserved.

I don’t like picking out any individuals. This was a real squad effort, but I must touch on a few.

Finn Russell will have had a testing couple of weeks since the France match a fortnight ago.

There have been a lot of column inches written about his poor performances in that one and also in the loss to Wales.

He could have gone into his shell, doubted the way he plays the game or perhaps adopted a more conservative style, which may not have tested England.

Anyone who has watched Finn grow into the international quality stand-off that he is now knew he would stay strong to his principles and that he is very much a confidence player.

When his first action yesterday was a good one, the camera panned in on him and he had a smile on his face. I knew then that he was in the groove.

His passing was lovely, while his kicking game was much better this time around. More often than not, he took the correct option and never shirked a tackle in defence.

When people talk about character and the ability to bounce back, Finn showed this here in spades.

To be named man of the match will mean a lot to him and I think it is great that he has Gregor as his coach and Greig Laidlaw as a sounding board. Both of them keep him grounded, but also urge him to express his talent.

The front row also did a great job and the scrum was solid. When any team has a solid scrum, then it gives the players behind them a lot of confidence. Gordon Reid, Stuart McInally and Simon Berghan can be very proud of their performances.

It was great to see WP Nel coming back off the bench late on after his injury problems, while Blair Kinghorn will never forget his full debut, that is for sure.

He came on for Tommy Seymour in the last 16 minutes and looked controlled and comfortable.

What the likes of Kinghorn, Jamie Bhatti and Nick Grigg show is that Scotland now have greater strength in depth than for a number of years, so there are a lot of players putting their hand up for selection in the games to come in Ireland and Italy. What of the Six Nations now? Well, Scotland still have a chance to compete for the title but to do that, they will have to go to Ireland and win on March 10.

Our home form has been amazing in the last 14 months or so. However, the guys know they must bottle up the things that make them perform so well at Murrayfield and take it on the road with them.

Scotland have not won in Dublin for eight years but after a showing like this, spirits will be high. They can go there and win if they play like this again.