RISING TO THE OCCASION
Townsend’s underdogs end a decade’s wait to win back the Calcutta Cup in captivating style
CONFIDENCE is the key to success in sport and Scotland rediscovered their’s at Murrayfield yesterday to bring the Calcutta Cup back to Scotland after a decade’s absence.
From skipper John Barclay’s breakdown skills to Finn Russell’s sublime conducting and Huw Jones’ clinical finishing, this was rugby founded on world-class qualities.
Add to that the tactical nous employed by Gregor Townsend and his backroom team, criticised after the Wales defeat, plus the confident conviction displayed by the on-field team, and the biggest surprise at full-time was that no one had predicted a record Six Nations defeat of an Eddie Jones-guided side currently second only to New Zealand in world rugby.
Two tries in a first half the hosts controlled, from Huw Jones — who now has a tally of ten in 14 Tests — sandwiched another by Sean Maitland and sent the Scots into the break with a 22-6 lead.
Owen Farrell cut Scotland’s lead to 22-13 just three minutes into the second half but despite a ferocious fightback from Eddie Jones’ world No 2 side, the home defence had all the answers.
The Scottish back row of Barclay, Hamish Watson and Ryan Wilson outshone their counterparts by swarming on tackles, forcing errors and turning over England ball. The scrum took on a pack that had trained against Georgia’s feared scrum in recent weeks, as the entire Scots pack went toe-to-toe with the much-vaunted England eight in the tight.
It was an excellent team effort as each Scot matched England’s desire for bruising defensive work and blended that physicality with intelligence to dominate the breakdown with the right numbers, and snuff out the English attack.
A yellow card for sub Sam Underhill in the final quarter dealt a fatal blow to England’s attack and allowed Russell to stretch the home lead to a commanding 12 points, but it was indicative of England’s poor discipline in the face of unstinting Scottish pressure all over the park.
England had not been in outstanding form in the championship to date, strolling over a poor Italian side and then eking past Wales in an arm-wrestle of an eventual 12-6 win. But in winning 24 of 25 Test matches under Australian coach Jones, they had proven themselves to have the answers to virtually every question posed over the past two years.
Scotland had opened the tournament with a wretched display in Cardiff before recovering with a more typical performance in the victory over France. It was still short of the complete display, however, and not enough to remove the underdogs tag for this clash.
The pack was always going to be the starting point for home hopes of an upset, but Scotland’s Calcutta Cup wins in 2000, 2006 and 2008 were also marked by outstanding defensive performances.
This victory was founded on strong forward and defensive pillars, Jonny Gray leading with a fine 20 tackles, but the first half owed everything to Scotland’s new attacking elan, which quickly consigned the 14-year wait for a try — since Simon Danielli last went over against England at Murrayfield in 2004 — to history.
After Greig Laidlaw had put them in front with a penalty just three minutes in, Tommy Seymour started to ask questions of the visitors, Stuart McInally launched into another world-class performance and the home pack showed its mettle in stifling English mauling.
Farrell did level matters with a penalty in the 14th minute after a tight call against Watson for not releasing him in a tackle, but then Jones struck for his first try.
Russell had slipped a little grubber through the English backs on the 22, and it bobbled awkwardly away from defenders. Jones seized on the fatal hesitation to pick up and dive over by the posts, with Laidlaw converting.
Scotland handed Farrell more points with a penalty for blocking at a Laidlaw clearance, but with the home scrum holding firm, the lineout mostly secure and Russell finding space with some glorious long kicks, the hosts were on the front foot as the game moved into the second quarter.
Twice Scottish players had ball smashed from their grasp, but captain Barclay stepped up when he was needed, putting in a big tackle on George Ford just as England began to build into a threat inside the home 22, and then forcing a penalty against the fly-half. From that ‘save’, Scotland attacked and finished again.
Russell flighted a risky long pass over the head of Jonathan Joseph, Jones ran onto it at speed and broke upfield. He was caught on the English 22, but Scotland maintained the attacking momentum, with McInally charging on towards the line and, when it came back again, Russell was there to lob a pass wide to Maitland, who dived into the corner.
England were rattled, Mike Brown taking out Watson off-the-ball, Danny Care setting about Russell, and Nathan Hughes and Wilson scrapping. The accuracy, however, came from Scotland and Barclay, with another fine ruck steal from Chris Robshaw that created the possession from which Jones scored again.
Two minutes from half-time, Jones exploded between Hughes and Farrell on a terrific direct line that superbly buried Eddie Jones’ pre-tournament dig that Scotland were the Six Nations ‘darlings’ who just run wide-to-wide.
He left them for dead on the England ten-metre line, racing clear into the visitors’ half and showed tremendous
confidence to take on the covering defenders, Watson and Brown, going between them. Neither had a good enough grip to stop his momentum carrying him the final few yards to the line.
When Scotland got caught narrow shortly after the break, Farrell sliced through a barn-door gap outside Grant Gilchrist, and converted his try to cut the deficit to nine points.
Scotland enjoyed their share of luck when Care and Farrell were denied ‘tries’ due to a ruck penalty against Joe Launchbury and a knock-on from Courtney Lawes in the tackle, both shown on TMO replays to be good calls by referee Nigel Owens.
Stuart Hogg missed a near 50-metre penalty attempt, and Scotland squandered a chance when Peter Horne delayed a pass too long to Watson, with Jones and Maitland waiting, but Horne was twice in the right place at the right time to disrupt England attacks. When Ali Price replaced Laidlaw, the Scottish pace surged again.
Just as every Scottish player seemed to respond well to the atmosphere, a host of England players fell short, Jonny May losing ball into touch, Launchbury giving away penalties and Lawes handing Scotland easy ball with indiscipline. The worst culprit was Underhill, who was yellowcarded for a shoulder tackle on Jamie Bhatti just ten minutes after coming on.
Russell took that chance to increase Scotland’s lead to 25-13, and when breakdown king Barclay forced another vital turnover to huge roars again from the Murrayfield crowd, there was no way back for England despite a valiant late fight.
The final whistle allowed the emotion to explode as a decade’s wait for another Calcutta Cup triumph came to a thrilling and deserved end.