Telfer backs Scots to catch England cold
Jim Telfer tells Bryn Palmer why Scotland should be contenders at Twickenham
Legendary coach Jim Telfer believes Scotland can exploit the recent inactivity of some of England’s key players and lay their Twickenham ghost to rest in their opening Six Nations clash next Saturday.
Telfer was the last Scottish coach to savour victory in west London in 1983, their barren 38-year, 18-match winless streak since the longest of any country at a rival’s home ground in the entire history of the Championship.
But the 80-year-old, who helped guide the Scots to Grand Slams in 1984 and 1990, senses an opportunity for Gregor Townsend’s team with five frontline England players injured and five of their Saracens contingent – Owen Farrell, Elliot Daly, Jamie George, Maro Itoje and Billy Vunipola – having played no competitive rugby since the Autumn Nations Cup final on December 5.
“I think we have got as good a chance this time as we have had for a while,” Telfer said. “The best time to get the top teams sometimes is their first game. The best teams in the world – like New Zealand and South Africa – get better as they go through the season and England are like that too.
“You think about when Eddie Jones took over in 2016 and they came to Murrayfield in round one and scraped through and then went from strength to strength.
“Maybe England take us a bit lightly. I know Eddie Jones won’t, and the players won’t think they do, but sometimes you get the impression they think ‘this is just Scotland’.
“They better get that thought to the back of their minds because Scotland can play and score tries as good as anybody. It is just the relentlessness of the English forwards – they have some topclass players at the moment.
“Where we may be better is the fact our players have had more games recently. Some of the Saracens players haven’t had any games at all.”
Telfer, who also guided Scotland to the final Five Nations title in 1999, takes heart from the strength in depth at Townsend’s disposal in positions such as second row, but admits the Scots “are struggling a bit” at hooker – where first-choice duo Fraser Brown and Stuart McInally are both injured.
Glasgow’s George Turner is poised for his first Championship outing and only his fifth Test start at Twickenham, with Edinburgh’s uncapped David Cherry likely to be his back-up.
Telfer also worries about their scrum-half options if anything befalls Ali Price, but still forecasts a “reasonably good Six Nations” for the Scots, who finished fourth last year despite three victories.
“We have certainly got some match-winners in the team with Stuart Hogg and Finn Russell and the big winger, Duhan van der Merwe,” he added. “We have got the ability – it is just getting the consistency and discipline. We give away too many penalties in crucial moments in matches.”
Scotland’s last two visits to Twickenham have brought the full gamut of emotions for the visitors. In 2017, they were a man down inside a minute after Brown’s yellow card and 20-0 down inside 25 minutes before crashing to a record 61-21 defeat that proved ruinous for several Scots’ hopes of Lions selection.
Two years ago, they were staring down the barrel again after shipping five tries inside the opening half-hour but from the depths of 31-0 down, McInally’s try before the interval ignited the most miraculous comeback the Championship has seen.
Scotland – sparked by Russell – added five more to lead 38-31 with minutes left before England avoided outright humiliation with George Ford’s injury-time try.
Current captain Hogg, nursing an injury at the time, was watching the game back home in Hawick.
“The character of the squad in that second half, and the ability we showed we have as rugby players, was just incredible to watch,” he recalled this week. “Going from being so low at half-time to as high as you can possibly be in the second half was just unbelievable.
“I don’t think we’ll see a game of rugby like that ever again. We know what we’re capable of and it’s all about getting as close to an 80minute performance as we possibly can. That’s exciting.”
That 2019 draw was one of two Scotland have secured – the other was in 1989 – at Twickenham amid the carnage of 16 defeats over the past 38 years.
Head coach Townsend made his own Test debut at the ground in 1993 and lost a Grand Slam decider there two years later, as well as a thrilling 1999 contest that ultimately cost Scotland a Slam.
The former fly-half admits that as a young player he “put too much emotion” into his performances in the Calcutta Cup.
“We know the historic importance of the fixture for our people, the joy it brings when we beat England,” he said. “That’s there in the background, but from a coaching perspective it’s about allowing them to go out and express themselves and learn, if you’re in the game, how to win.” Townsend will have his fingers crossed that his England-based players emerge unscathed from Premiership matches this weekend. His main dilemmas are at No.8 – where Glasgow’s Matt Fagerson started and ended the autumn campaign but Newcastle’s Gary Graham is in prime form – and inside centre. The injury-plagued Duncan Taylor made an encouraging return at the tail-end of the autumn campaign and Harlequins’ James Lang is also in the mix, but the bold choice – not something Townsend has ever shied away from – would be Bath’s Cameron Redpath.
Having chosen Scotland over England, the 21-year-old – son of Townsend’s former half-back partner Bryan – has made a big impression already.
“There is a maturity about him with how he sees a game and how he speaks his mind,” the head coach added. “And there is a fearless side of him that I believe would take on any challenge.”
His performance for Bath in a losing cause in last season’s Premiership semi-final defeat at Exeter particularly resonated with Townsend.
“Exeter were dominant on their home ground, but Cam was one of the stand-out players who kept taking the game to the opposition. That is a great mindset when you are going into such a tough arena.
“It is different this year with no crowds and the atmosphere 80,000 supporters create. If guys are making their debuts it is probably a good time to do it in away games. It does level the playing field a little.”