«IT’S ENGLAND FOR ROBINSON

Scotland will be inspired in an epic but England to edge it

AnDY ROBInSOn recognises the view from either side of the Calcutta Cup divide, having been head coach of both England and Scotland. And he predicts a fight to the finish on Saturday but, ultimately, a home win at Twickenham. According to the 52-year-old, the pressure is on England as they seek the Six nations victory which would see them match the All Blacks’ world-record run of 18 straight Test wins — and take them to the brink of another Grand Slam. Scotland have not prevailed in London since 1983 but Robinson believes that grim record will inspire rather than inhibit Vern Cotter’s men.

‘Scotland will go to Twickenham this time with nothing to lose, because of the record,’ he told Sportsmail. ‘You can use it as motivation. When we (Scotland) beat Australia for the first time in 20-odd years, it got to the last 20 minutes and it gave us that extra drive.

‘Away from home, you just have to stay in the game. If Scotland are still in it with 15 minutes to go then the English will be rattled.

‘Scotland’s defence has been exceptional in the first three games and if they get it right again they will be in it. The pressure will build on England because of the crowd’s expectation. England have not been playing as well as they would have liked but international rugby is all about winning — and they keep winning. That breeds confidence.’

Gone are the days when, for Scotland, victory over the Auld Enemy was the be-all and end-all.

‘I think 20 years ago that was probably the mind-set of the Scottish people: “As long as we beat England”,’ said Robinson. ‘That has changed. Scotland have seen the importance of also beating Australia, South Africa, Wales and Ireland.

‘When I was coaching Scotland, there was a real raising of intensity when it came to the England game but that is there for every fixture now.’

Another familiar aspect of this long-standing rugby rivalry is the hostility and animosity it generates. Professionalism has changed the nature of annual cross-border conflict, but not entirely removed all the tension and emotional intensity.

Robinson said: ‘When Chris Cusiter was captaining Scotland I used to tell him: “Whatever you want to say, just say it. I am English but if you want to slag the English off that’s fine by me! Do whatever you need to do to get up for the game!”

‘There is a lot of respect for England but Scotland want to be the team that beats England and stops their run.’

ASSESSInG the two sides, Robinson believes England will target the Scottish scrum and also use their maul to gain the upper hand. While the visitors can pose a deadly threat out wide, he doesn’t expect Cotter’s men to be allowed the space they had for long periods against Ireland and Wales.

‘If England find their rhythm, they are a fantastic side,’ said Robinson. ‘If they get the ball into Jack nowell’s hands, get Mike Brown attacking the wider channels, the Vunipolas carrying hard and Ben Youngs running round the fringes, with George Ford pulling the strings, they are phenomenal.

‘I believe England will win because of the depth they’ve got and the ability to change tactics. They have been simmering in the last few games and will be ready to put in a big performance.’

What enthuses Robinson about the current Scotland side is the pace in their team and he believes they will enjoy playing on the perfect surface at Twickenham.

Although he has tipped England to win he expects Scotland to give Eddie Jones’ team a real run for their money because of their ability to score tries from all over the pitch.

‘When you’ve got that sort of pace in your team like Scotland, it makes a huge difference,’ said Robinson. ‘Those trying to get a starting place in the back three in the Scotland team are all superb finishers and I include Sean Maitland, Tommy Seymour, Tim Visser and Stuart Hogg in that group. Vern Cotter has to choose three from four, knowing that if they have space to run, they will score.

‘They also have that X-factor to beat people and they are all very good in the air, as well as having the ability to run the length of the field and score.

‘Scotland have been able to play in the outside channels during the Six nations so far and that is where they are dangerous.

‘I thought Ireland were poor in the first half and gave Scotland too much room in the outside channels. France defended Scotland much better in that area and then Wales lost their way a little bit in that game. I’m not sure England will give Scotland as much room on the outside, as they will know Scotland are strong there.’

Robinson, during his time in charge of Scotland, struggled to find an attacking fly-half with flair. Too often he had to rely on Dan Parks, who was more a kicking ten. In Finn Russell, he believes Cotter has a superb playmaker but one who is still learning.

‘Finn Russell is still learning the game at international level,’ said the 52-year-old. ‘There is a lot for him to

take on board still, in the way he is developing. He won’t be at his peak for another two or three years. That is the exciting part.’

RoBINSoN does not doubt Scotland’s mental strength and the leadership quality of John Barclay, who took over as captain for the win over Wales following an injury to regular skipper Greig Laidlaw. Because of that he does not expect any of their players to let the occasion get to them.

‘What was proven for Scotland in the last game was that, even without Greig Laidlaw as captain, they were still able to perform,’ said Robinson, who gave Laidlaw his international debut in the 49-3 defeat to New Zealand at Murrayfield in 2010.

‘To suddenly lose him and play the way Scotland did in the Wales game is a credit to the team, showing how much they have moved on.’

The fact they have moved on under Cotter, a man being replaced as Scotland head coach in the summer, is not a reason to panic as he believes his successor Gregor Townsend can continue the good work done.

‘Vern Cotter has been excellent in the way he has developed Scotland and the confidence he has given them,’ he said. ‘For Scotland, they felt that moving forward, they wanted to bring Gregor in. He has worked with a lot of the players and they know him. He will be able to put his stamp on the side.’