THE GREAT SCOTS WARNING
Page 90
SCOTLAND blew the Six Nations Championship wide open with a stunning display of their new-style rugby and ended a decade’s wait to reclaim the Calcutta Cup.
With skipper John Barclay outstanding and stand-off Finn Russell responding to disappointing performances against Wales and France with a world-class Man of the Match performance, Scotland to a man rose to the challenge of being underdogs to outfight and outsmart the tournament favourites. Two tries in a first half the hosts controlled, from Huw Jones – who now has an incredible tally of 10 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 No2 side, Scotland’s defence had all the answers.
The Scottish back row of Barclay, Hamish Watson and Ryan Wilson outshone their English counterparts by swarming on tackles, forcing errors and turning over England ball, and the scrum took on a pack that had famously trained against Georgia’s feared scrum in recent weeks, as the entire Scottish pack went toe-to-toe with the much-vaunted England eight in the tight.
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 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. Farrell did level matters with a penalty in the 14th minute after a tight call against Hamish Watson for not releasing Farrell 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, Laidlaw converting. Scotland handed Farrell another six points with a penalty for blocking at a Laidlaw clearance. Captain Barclay stepped up when he was needed, putting in a big tackle on George Ford just as England began to build inside the home 22, and then forcing a penalty against the fly-half. From that ‘save’, Scotland then attacked and finished again. Russell flighted a very risky long pass over the head of Jonathan Joseph, Jones ran onto it at speed and broke upfield. He was caught eventually on the English 22, but Scotland maintained the momentum with McInally charging on towards the line and, when it came back again, Russell was there to lob a pass wide to Sean Maitland, who dived over.
England were rattled. Two minutes from half-time, Jones exploded between Hughes and Farrell on a terrific direct line. He left them for dead on the England 10-metre line, racing clear into the visitors’ half and showed tremendous confidence to take on the covering defenders, Watson and Brown, going between them, and 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 reminded all of his finishing style by slicing through a barn-door gap outside Grant Gilchrist, and converting his try, to cut the deficit to nine points. Scotland enjoyed their share of luck when Danny 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.
Russell increased Scotland’s lead to 2513, 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.