Highlighting weaknesses so essential for Paterson

CHRIS Paterson knows more than most modern Scots what it takes to beat England — and he warned Murrayfield can ‘crush’ unsuspecting travellers.

The 39-year-old, who is now a kicking consultant with the Scotland team, is one of only two players who have beaten England three times in Six Nations Calcutta Cup matches.

And having achieved the feat alongside Jason White playing three different positions — fullback in 2000, right wing in 2006 and fly-half in 2008 — Paterson is well qualified to pin-point the area Scotland must target.

He urged his countrymen to cut off Owen Farrell and George Ford, before highlighting a possible area of English weakness.

‘It is crucial to get at that and from a Scottish point of view, let’s hope they can,’ said Paterson. ‘In my day it was Jonny Wilkinson and Mike Catt. From my experience playing full-back against them, they had quality ball from the forwards, a right-footer and a leftfooter, distributers both sides and it was so hard as a defending 15 to try and second-guess what was happening.

‘Ford and Farrell, although they are both right-footed, work really well together.

‘That is crucial to how England play but in many ways do you target a strength? Do you come at it with a lot of pressure? If you stop that you will go a long way to winning.

‘If I were England, I would be a little bit frustrated that it hasn’t clicked yet in attack.

‘England don’t give you a lot of opportunities in defence — their line speed is terrific, they fly up.

‘They actually do miss quite a lot of tackles though — they missed 23 against Wales, Scotland missed 22 against them.

‘So if you put them under pressure and keep that high tempo, it is hard for a defence to keep coming forward.’

Last week, Joe Marler made it clear that England do not fear Murrayfield.

None of the visiting side, other than veteran 34-year-old scrumhalf Richard Wigglesworth, have lost to Scotland.

And while Paterson understands their confidence, he believes the ground where Scotland have not lost at in the championship since 2016 is becoming a fortress.

‘When you are selling out Murrayfield every time it brings a level of expectation and pressure — I think Scotland have dealt with that really well,’ he added.

‘The brilliant support they have at home inspires them whereas that pressure in the past may have been a burden. It is an added weapon for the players to feed off now.

‘Some players grow. I tried to block it all out, stay calm and do the right things. Certainly as a young player in 2000 I felt it, though.

‘In 2006 and 2008 I let it happen around me and focused on my job but for younger players I think it is quite true. ‘There will be players who rise to that and will be crushed in equal measure.’ All of Paterson’s wins against England at Murrayfield followed a similar theme — Scotland slowing the game down, kicking penalties and using the raucous support to their advantage in dreadful weather. But he thinks it is now Scotland who will want to play fast and loose, with Stuart Hogg and Finn Russell born to run.

‘Mine were three different games but the importance of the crowd played a part,’ he said.

‘England scored 14 tries in last year’s Six Nations and 41 in the calendar year last year. They are on a roll in terms of their results and tend to grind out victories. I think they will be a little bit cagier away from home.’

And if Scotland do win for the first time in a decade Paterson believes it will be hailed as one of their greatest ever victories.

‘I think so, undoubtedly,’ he said. ‘When a team has won 24 out of 25 and have been so dominant, won so many games without being at their best, it is going to take a big performance.’