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Sorry Scots humiliated as England run in seven tries to clinch Six Nations crown

MANY predicted a try thriller as a new, rapier Scotland sought to end a 34-year wait for victory at Twickenham, and we got it with an astonishing ten touchdowns.

But in a game that again crowned England as RBS Six Nations champions, the Scots were left with their worst championship mauling in history.

England outgunned the Scottish pack in the set-piece and outsmarted them in the open field with power, precision and pace to run in seven tries, setting a new record for a Calcutta Cup match and equalling their previous best winning margin in the fixture.

Eddie Jones’ men also matched New Zealand’s world record for consecutive Test wins by a tier one nation. The victory tees up the chance for the English to go to Ireland on Saturday and celebrate retaining the title by setting a new standard of 19 matches unbeaten.

Scotland’s improvement under Vern Cotter has brought them closer to England and the elite — as a new world ranking of fifth before this match showed. But they still needed everything to go right yesterday to have a chance of upsetting the reigning champions — start well, avoid injuries and finish off every chance. They failed on all three counts and, even worse, the injuries deprived them of men central to their hopes.

Hooker Fraser Brown was off in the second minute to the sin-bin, forcing Ryan Wilson to throw in — so taking the No 8 out of the defence — and injuries to lethal attackers Stuart Hogg, his replacement Mark Bennett and Tommy Seymour, followed later by Wilson, left Scotland so stretched that half-backs Ali Price and Duncan Weir had to play on the wings.

In a scene conjuring Christians and lions, the 80,000-capacity stadium roaring and swaying to ‘Swing Low Sweet Chariot’ took on a Coliseum feel as the behemoth of an England team seized on the fresh vulnerability in ruthless fashion.

After stuttering performances in the Six Nations to date, though still winning, England built on early gifts of a 14-man opposition and soft tries to produce their most clinical performance for some time.

As a result, Scottish hopes, riding high before kick-off after a first Six Nations Celtic double of wins over Ireland and Wales, were blown apart by the 24th minute as Jonathan Joseph scored twice and Owen Farrell slotted ten points for a 20-0 England lead.

Joseph would go on to complete his hat-trick in a Man-of-the-Match performance, with Anthony Watson, Billy Vunipola and Danny Care (twice) also touching down.

Scotland have suffered a similar brutalising defeat in 2001 when losing 43-3. Had they been told they would score three tries on this visit that would have been a reason for optimism, and their newfound ability to finish chances was evident in a brace of tries from Huw Jones, further underlining his quality, and another by prop Gordon Reid.

But, in truth, they were drops in the ocean. Scotland did not make a clear, incisive break until well into the second half.

Possession and territory statistics were strangely similar, but the fact that England made seven linebreaks to Scotland’s one, and ate up more than 500metres on those breaks — to Scotland’s 239 — told the real story, while 11 penalties against and 21 missed tackles revealed the key Scots weaknesses.

And so there was no consolation for the chastened looking Scottish players as they watched Dylan Hartley lift the Calcutta Cup.

It all began to go awry from the first minute when Brown was yellow-carded for a tip-tackle on Elliot Daly, French referee Mathieu Raynal sparing the hooker a red as Daly landed on his back rather than head or neck. That was the only bit of mercy Scotland enjoyed in a first half where England followed through on a threat to finally put together a performance worthy of a team on a world record run.

Scotland captain John Barclay was honest post-match in stating that his side’s performance fell well below their recent standards, even allowing for the injuries, but the key to this game was that first 20 minutes.

The visitors needed to use the early stages to sow seeds of doubt but, instead, England derived great confidence from that period and went on to demonstrate their terrific skill in the set-piece and attack off the line-out, where they tied in Scotland’s back row cleverly and isolated their midfield with slick play by George Ford and Farrell to create big gaps for Joseph to exploit.

As Brown was heading for the sin-bin, Joseph broke Alex Dunbar’s tackle and streaked to the line, and after two ruck penalties let Farrell kick another six points, Hogg was forced off, shifting Seymour to the unfamiliar full-back berth.

Bennett came on but, within minutes, fell in agony clutching his leg with what looked like a hamstring tear, and Ford and Farrell combined to set Joseph free again for a second try. Russell kicked a penalty to the corner and the Scotland pack superbly rolled round the corners of a maul for Reid to touch down.

However, penalties continued to dog them and hand England platforms, and Joseph exploded off another to put Watson in for a commanding 30-7 half-time lead.

With Courtney Lawes superb in the line-out, No 8 Nathan Hughes bringing his power to bear on the run and the backs revelling in their newfound freedom, the second half resumed the pattern of the first.

England scored their fourth try, from Joseph again, and Scotland lost Seymour to injury, after a late tackle by Hughes.

The impressive Farrell continued to bisect the uprights every chance he got, and though Scotland were rewarded for their spirit — leading lights Hamish Watson and Richie Gray leading the Scots attack — with tries for Jones in the 50th and 70th minute, the sight of England releasing world-class replacements like Billy Vunipola and Care, who both went on to score tries, only darkened the Scots mood.

In the final quarter, Wilson joined the Scottish casualties with suspected concussion — having clashed heads with England replacement hooker Jamie George, which also forced the Englishman off — but Care’s double took England sailing beyond the half century mark.

Scotland return home to lick their wounds, humbled and with British & Irish Lions hopes damaged, but knowing that a win against Italy in Saturday’s final match could still secure a first runner-up spot in Cotter’s last match in charge.

The head coach may now feel that game cannot come soon enough.