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Plenty more to come from Marcus Smith.
Momentum, they always say, is key in the Six Nations. Ireland and Scotland currently have it. Thanks for reading and see you next time.
Robert Kitson reports from Murrayfield:
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The England head coach Eddie Jones has a chat with the BBC: “Look, it was a good effort by our team. Scotland were a bit better than us, took their chances, there was nothing in the game, it was a three-point game, that could have gone either way, but congratulations to Scotland, they deserve their victory.”
On the possibility of England being awarded a scrum penalty at the end: “We’re not going to debate that. The referee’s in charge and we accept his decision. We don’t apportion any blame to Luke [Cowan-Dickie, for the yellow card]. He was just contesting the ball in a different area. The referee adjudicated that it was a yellow card. So we accept that and just get on with it.
“I think we had opportunities in that second half to kick on a little bit and we just weren’t clinical enough. We’ve only got ourselves to blame. It just comes down to we weren’t clinical enough today, but we will be next week.”
On taking off Marcus Smith: “I thought George [Ford] could lift the game a little bit, but Marcus played really well, we were really happy with his performance ... but it’s a 23-man game.
“Given the quality of the competition, all we’ve got to worry about is the next game. So we go to Italy, get a win against Italy, we’re back in the competition.”
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The Scotland head coach Gregor Townsend speaks: “Amazing. I don’t think any Scottish supporters have been that excited about a set of scrums at the end of a game, or as nervous ... look it’s a great occasion. That’s why sport and the Six Nations is something you have to live through. That was a brilliant end, for us, obviously ... You know, it was crossing my mind what England might do if they won a penalty [in the final seconds] ... but fortunately it wasn’t decided on a penalty ... it was tough conditions in that second half. We probably would have backed our defence to go through the phases anyway, because it would have been hard to break us down with a wet ball.
“Character, fitness, self-belief is there. We had a lot of that game without the ball. I thought England played really well. They’re going to be a real danger in the Six Nations to other teams ... but we got through that period, and we were behind on the scoreboard, and we came back, and the confidence came through us. I thought some of our best rugby was in the last 15 minutes when it was terrible conditions. I’m really proud of the team.
“Finn Russell was outstanding, the whole game. He was calm, he nailed his kicks ... and he was still able to play our ‘shape’ ... he had a great game.
“It means a lot to us but it means more for our country, for the people here. We know how important this game is for Scotland as a nation. We just wanted to focus on the game, and we delivered a winning performance, but we know we’ll need to improve if we want to win another trophy later on this season.”
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Some Ireland v Wales reading, from Michael Aylwin and Jonathan Liew:
The England captain Tom Curry speaks to the BBC: “It was up-down, up-down ... first half, I thought we put ourselves in a really good position, second half, probably our discipline cost us. It’s just one of those games, mixed emotions really.”
On Cowan-Dickie’s yellow card: “Listen, if we’re going to win big games and big moments like that, we’re can’t just rely on one moment in the game. We’ll get round, we’ll have a look, but at the end of the game, it’s a game of 80 minutes, not just one moment. So we need to reflect, and be better ourselves.
“Whoever scores more points wins ... Credit to them, they put a lot of pressure on at the tackle area and the breakdown and we probably weren’t accurate enough and it slowed us down. As I said, we’ll have a look at it, but mixed emotions. It’s an emotional day [being captain] but we play rugby to win, so as I said, bittersweet.”
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The Scotland captain Stuart Hogg speaks to the BBC: “I’m absolutely chuffed to bits ... I think for us, we wanted to come out and put on a show, and show what we’re about. And at times we got it right, at times we were up against it. You know, England are a fantastic side ... but we’re absolutely delighted with that.”
[Kicking the ball out at the end was] “Unbelievable ... for Darcy Graham to get that turnover at the end, you know, the little pocket rocket ... absolutely delighted, a full squad effort.
“We want to believe in ourselves as individuals and as a collective. Next week is a challenge to back it up, and be better again ... We’re not going to get carried away. This is one victory.”
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“That was a terrific game of rugby,” emails Chris Healy. “I have no idea how Scotland managed to win that being on the back foot for so long. They were better in open play than England and that ultimately was probably the difference.”
“England lacked a cutting edge. But, whereas last year England were giving away a lot of penalties today they played with a lot of discipline, except crucially under one high ball. If the rest of the tournament is as good as this we’re in for a treat.”
Stuart Hogg holds aloft the Calcutta Cup. A fine win, one that came from a lot of determination and a refusal to be beaten, in contrast to Ireland’s crushing win against Wales earlier.
Fagerson’s interview with Sonja McLaughlan of the BBC, continued. How did Scotland come back? “I think it’s just going back to basics, you know ... just exit well, get back up the pitch, and re-put the pressure back on them.”
On Finn Russell: “Yeah, massive. I think his kicking game is probably the best in the world ... he showed that when he went end-to-end [cross field] with Duhan and then to Darcy ... it’s amazing playing with him and it relieves a lot of pressure on us big boys, having to go up and down the park.”
On the atmosphere: “In the anthems especially, when the music went off, it was pretty hard to hold back the tears, it was pretty emotional. We could hear them throughout and it was massive yeah, awesome.”
The Scotland back rower Fagerson, the player of the match, speaks: “It’s pretty crazy. We’ve been building the squad for two years and I think this is probably just the culmination of it all. Every time we come to Murrayfield, every time we play, we want to win. We put a lot of work in through the week. It was getting a bit harum scarum in the beginning of the second half. But it just shows the heart of the boys to bring it home in the end. And the crowd were a massive part of that.”
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A dramatic match that included a lot more running rugby than we hoped for given the weather forecast. Marcus Smith scored all of England’s points ... was he withdrawn from the action too early? England did a lot of things right, but Cowan-Dickie’s infringement from Russell’s cross kick gave up a penalty and a sin-bin at a crucial time. There was also a missed touch by Smith beforehand that felt important.
The former England hooker Brian Moore, on his last commentary in the men’s Six Nations for the BBC, says: “For a game that we thought beforehand could have been rain affected, it could have been a dour game, it turned out to be an exciting year, a thrilling finish. I’ve just got two words to leave you with: Thank you.”
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Full time! Scotland 20-17 England!
Scotland have done it! Back to back Calcutta Cup wins!
80 min + 4: England get the shove on. Youngs tries to use the ball but it’s flicked away by a teammate’s boot. There will be another reset scrum. This is tense ... it’s also a bit ludicrous.
80 min + 3: Ben O’Keeffe says ‘time off’ and calls the fronts rows over for a talking to. Another scrum coming up.
80 min + 2: Another reset scrum ... no penalty for England but they’re clearly hoping for one. We will scrum down a third time.
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80 min: Clock in the red. Scotland lead by three. We’ll have a reset scrum for England. “It’s a good contest, that one,” says the referee of the scrum ... Jack Nowell comes on for a few seconds.
79 min: Wow. Schoeman, the replacement Scotland prop, steals England ball. Itoje almost grabs it back straight away ... England have a scrum, in the Scotland half, in the final minute. Fagerson is player of the match.
78 min: Ford’s kick for touch wasn’t the best ... but Scotland steal the lineout anyway!
77 min: Ewels is on for England. George Ford is the fly-half who is looking to crack the Scotland defence in the dying minutes ... England win a penalty! They will kick for the corner and go for the win rather than let Daly have a crack at a long-range penalty.
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77 min: Watson on Curry, a neck roll, a penalty to England. That could be massive. Three points the difference, instead of what should have been six.
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76 min: England are back up to 15, but they are also penalised for not rolling away at the tackle area and Scotland have a kick to move six points clear. Simmonds comes on for England, Cowan-Dickie will not be coming back after the end of sin-binning. Now, the TMO and the ref is looking at a potential neck roll by a Scottish player ... which would be a huge momentum swing if this is given.
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74 min: Itoje appears to have pulled off a brilliant charge down from a box kick by White but he’s offside. Scotland get the penalty and they kick for touch.
Penalty! 72 min: Scotland 20-17 England (Russell)
It flirts with the right-hand post but it’s through. The crowd goes wild! Russell holds his nerve with a crucial penalty and Scotland are back in front for the first time since Marcus Smith’s try, which came 20 minutes ago ... that already feels like a lifetime.
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70 min: England penalised! Penalty to Scotland ... They will take another scrum ... hang on, no they won’t, they will go for the points instead. A handy penalty for Russell, but there is plenty of pressure on this.
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68 min: The noise from the home fans goes up another level. Russell bangs a low touch-finder for the right corner and finds his target. Scotland in the ascendancy ... England huddle before the lineout ... which Joe Marler will throw in, in the absence of Cowan-Dickie who is in the bin for the next six minutes ... Marler goes to the front, and it’s either not straight or not five metres, and that’s another howler from England. Now Jamie George comes on and Sam Simmonds goes off, because Scotland have a five-metre scrum put-in. Pressure on England, a lot of pressure.
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Penalty try! 66 min: Scotland 17-17 England!
Drama. The Scotland fans roar, as well they might. Cowan-Dickie made no attempt to catch that cross kick by Russell and patted it forward into touch. It’s all square, and Scotland are a man up!
England’s Luke Cowan-Dickie (centre) is shown a yellow card Photograph: Jane Barlow/PA
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66 min: Scotland roar down the left wing then a cross-kick is contested by Luke Cowan-Dickie, with Darcy Graham, in the right-hand corner. Cowan-Dickie goes down injured ... it looks like he’s going in the sin bin and it’s a penalty try too.
65 min: Marler and Stuart are on in the front row for England ... Dombrandt is on in the back row.
Penalty! 63 min: Scotland 10-17 England (Smith)
Scotland cough up another easily kickable penalty in their 22. Smith strokes it through the middle and then goes off. The lead is seven points. And here come a ton of England replacements ...
62 min: Jones, surely, is going to empty his bench any second?
60 min: Just as I was about to observe that England look fresher, Van der Merwe embarks on a rousing, lung-busting run down the middle ... but he soon concedes a penalty, which Smith kicks for touch in the corner ... but he misses touch! A big let-off for Scotland in a tight game.
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59 min: Tuipulotu on, Johnson off at inside centre for Scotland.
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59 min: An injured Ritchie is down and out for Scotland ... Magnus Bradbury comes on for the final quarter. Ritchie, unfortunately, seems to be badly hurt as he’s being taken off on a buggy. Looks like he may have done a hamstring. He’s sitting up as he’s taken off, though, and claps the crowd.
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58 min: Clean lineout ball for England in the Scotland half. England drive the maul forward again ... but Youngs is then mugged by Ali Price as he looks to pass off his right hand, the Scotland scrum-half coming from the blind side and turning it over. Scotland steam down their left, and Youngs makes a recovering tackle.
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55 min: Possession for Scotland around halfway. Initially, England rush up in defence and the Scottish passing is hurried ... but Darcy Graham takes matters into his own hands, scooping up the ball and then embarking on another wonderful jinking run and causing panic in the English defence. We are in for a ding-dong final quarter by the looks of it.
Try! 52 min: Scotland 10-14 England (Smith)
It had been coming. England put pressure on Scotland with another driving maul following that lineout, Isiekwe claiming it. Youngs grabs the ball after a strong drive and makes a dart to the left inside the 22 ... Smith is running a lovely line, at short range, and slips over the line and dives over! Smith misses the kick, so Scotland trail by four.
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50 min: Scotland have a lineout. They win the ball and shove a driving maul up a few metres ... but good work by Sinckler leads to an England scrum. Townsend freshens up his entire front row with Stuart McInally, Pierre Schoeman and WP Nel on. Their first act is to give up a penalty for moving early ... and Smith kicks for the corner. Field position, and possession, for England.
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Penalty! 48 min: Scotland 10-9 England
Smith strikes the penalty sweetly and it’s a one-point game. This is going to get nervous, isn’t it? Or even more nervous.
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46 min: Sustained pressure from England in the Scottish 22. Slade, Smith and Steward all get hands on the ball and England make some powerful carries. The home defence holds firm, though. England had two penalty advantages, and Smith will have an easy kick at goal ...
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43 min: Scotland get a free-kick at the scrum. Price takes it and Russell hacks a low kick out into touch, pinning England back. The Exeter hooker Cowan-Dickie crunches into contact after the lineout and Gilchrist of Scotland is then penalised for obstruction when Scotland get the ball and try and run it back ... it’s kicked for touch and it’s a good position for England inside the Scots’ 22.
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42 min: Steward fumbles a high ball and knocks it on. Scrum for Scotland just inside the English half. The handling errors have been relatively few so far but that was a clumsy one.
England’s full-back Freddie Steward jumps to claim a high ball. Photograph: Andy Buchanan/AFP/Getty Images
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41 min: Martin Johnson, on punditry duty at half time, predicted that Jack Nowell could have a big impact for England off the bench. We shall see.
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Second half kick-off!
Russell puts boot to ball. It’s a four-point game in the second half.
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Tremendous timing from Gabby Logan on the BBC:
@GabbyLogan with unimaginable power #SixNations pic.twitter.com/Oe7wUg5s44
— Dan Richardson (@danrichardson) February 5, 2022
Scotland have made 83 tackles to England’s 37. Is that going to take a physical toll?
Here’s some half-time reading:
Penalty and half-time! Scotland 10-6 England (Russell)
Finn Russell nails the kick. England are ruthlessly punished by that infringement by Sinckler ... and were indeed punished for Marchant’s missed tackle for Scotland’s try, even if it was a nice step by Graham. All to play for in the second half.
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40 min: Russell, who has been quiet to say the least, tries a chip kick behind the defensive line in midfield. He’s flattened by one of the England forwards but Sinckler had already been penalised for an attempted tackle-and-jackal ... Russell will kick for the posts.
39 min: England have had 76% of possession and yet they trail by a point.
37 min: Scotland roar into the England half with Van der Merwe in possession, but he’s tackled, and soon penalised for holding on to the ball after being brought down by Daly. Itoje nabs the lineout after England kick the penalty for touch ... but the visitors are immediately penalised themselves, I think for going off their feet at the breakdown. Into the final couple of minutes of the half.
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36 min: “With a bit of selective amnesia over one missed tackle, England should be delighted with the game,” emails Hugh Molloy. “Elite sport is brutal, however.”
Penalty! 35 min: Scotland 7-6 England (Smith)
Something to show for the pressure, from an England perspective. Smith nails this kick which bullets through the middle of the posts from a modest distance. England move to within a point, five minutes until half time.
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31 min: England get a good, powerful shove on with a driving maul from the lineout. Even the scrum-half Ben Youngs has a little shove from the back. They eventually roll over the line but it’s held up by Scotland. No try. Marchant and Turner smile at each other about something as they pick themselves off the floor and out of the pile of bodies. More pressure for England but still no points, other than the Smith penalty.
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30 min: Youngs makes a clean line break for England into the Scotland 22. He’s brought down, but Smith then lofts a cross kick looking for Slade on the right wing, switching the point of attack. It’s overhit ... but it was a shot to nothing, the referee brings it back for a penalty, and England kick for the opposite corner.
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28 min: Marcus Smith angles a lovely touch-finder, low, with the outside of his boot to the England left wing. A lineout for Scotland, five metres out ... Turner throws long yet again and England aren’t alive to it.
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27 min: England move the ball through the hands again, Slade to Genge, then through Itoje. Malins gets it and tries a grubber kick which bounces in-goal and Hogg touches it down.
25 min: Curry crashes into contact for England, driving his team onwards. Youngs gets the ball and box-kicks in behind ... Van der Merwe fields the kick and runs it back. England are then penalised for offside.
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23 min: Smith has ball in hand once again. He feeds Slade, who hammers a left-footed kick from hand deep into the corner. The Scotland full-back Hogg is in position and grabs it but his attempted clearance is charged down by England. A good territory gain for the visitors, but Scotland win a penalty at the lineout, the decision going against Nick Isiekwe.
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20 min: The England coach, Eddie Jones, will be annoyed that a positive start has been somewhat wasted but Scotland will hardly care about that. It was a fine break by Russell – the weather isn’t as bad as forecast and both sides are willing and able to play some good stuff. Price, who went off for that HIA during which White, his replacement, scored the first try, is ready to come back on.
Try! 18 min: Scotland 7-3 England (White)
First chance for Scotland, first try. Darcy Graham makes a break on the right serves up a lovely inside ball for the fly-half and he roars with delight as he crosses the try line. Russell converts. It looked like a missed tackle by Marchant that helped Scotland there.
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Penalty! 17 min: Scotland 0-3 England (Smith)
The young fly half cracks a penalty which swerves wildly right but still sneaks inside the post. He makes a bit of a face as he runs back ... but England have something to show for their early superiority.
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16 min: More England ball. Curry and then Ludlam carry powerfully, smashing into contact ... and a penalty comes for an infringement by Jonny Gray. A chance for Marcus Smith to edge England in front ...
14 min: A fine kick for touch by Hogg puts England on the back foot. England get the resulting lineout right though, inside their own half, Ludlam claiming it at the front.
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13 min: England have mixed up a kicking and passing game beautifully so far and they are winning the collisions, too. But nothing to show for it on the scoreboard: the score remains 0-0.
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12 min: Scotland throw the lineout long, a risk, but it comes off, and an excellent clearing kick by Price takes the pressure off the home defence. Price is now going off for an HIA after a clash with Simmonds. Ben White, the London Irish fly-half, is on for his debut.
11 min: Another lovely attack by England, sending it through the hands, and Malins is nearly in on the right! With the tryline beckoning he passes inside for the full-back, Steward, but he’s bundled into touch. England have started really well. Scotland haven’t fired a shot so far.
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9 min: Scotland again kick down the middle. Malins, again, runs it back and into contact. The fly-half Smith gets hands on it again. England are playing here, and keeping it in hand, perhaps more than Scotland would have expected. Daly dummies then sends a decent grubber kick down the England left.
7 min: Another scrum. England are on top, and win a penalty. They try to run it, playing advantage, but fluff it up. No matter: it’s a penalty in their own half. It looks like Slade and his siege gun boot is going to kick it. He does and he finds touch on the Scotland 22.
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4 min: A first scrum. England put in. Ben O’Keeffe, the referee, has words with the front rows about a safe engagement. England win a free-kick, Scotland penalised for moving before the ball was put in. It’s been a tight opening and this has all the hallmarks of a low-scoring arm wrestle. Which isn’t too surprising considering the state of the weather.
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2 min: Van der Merwe kicks from inside the Scotland 22. It’s straight down the throat of the England backs. Malins juggles initially in midfield, running on to a pass, but tidies up and England enjoy working through a few phases in the middle of the park. Slade, then Smith, get hands on the ball. England keep running it but are eventually penalised for holding on, and Scotland have the penalty.
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First-half kick-off!
England begin, and Malins crushes into a tackle, perfectly timed, on Hogg on the England right wing. Price manages to clear for Scotland.
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The teams are out. First, there’s a rendition of God Save the Queen, then a blast of bagpipes and a rousing rendition of Flower of Scotland. It’s on!
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Hopes, dreams and fears from an England fan:
@LukeMcLaughlin English fan here: Hopes-a good game without any refereeing controversy that England win handsomely. Dreams-it is so comfortable for England that I can relax and enjoy it. Fears-neither of those 2 things will happen and it'll be a Scotland win with a terrible ref.
— Brendan Large (@brendanlarge) February 5, 2022
Scotland and England played the first rugby union international in 1871: this is the 140th Test between the nations. Scotland have won 44, England 76 with 19 draws.
Quite a few people thought Ireland would beat champions Wales. They were wrong. Ireland absolutely obliterated them. But even that is not quite right. What makes this win so impressive was the dexterity of it, the effortless command of fingers and angles, which made us almost not notice the physicality of which they have long been purveyors.
Scotland have threats everywhere in the back line: Van der Merwe, Hogg, Russell, Price ... while the back row of Ritchie, Watson and Fagerson is the one that did so much damage at Twickenham last year.
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No Courtney Lawes for England today, which is a huge loss for them. No Owen Farrell either, so Tom Curry leads the side at the tender age of 23. It’s a big day for Sam Simmonds of Exeter at No 8 and it’s a relatively unfamiliar back line with Max Malins and Joe Marchant on the wings and Elliot Daly at No 13. England must hope that his selection works out a little better than Josh Adams did for Wales earlier.
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This year just happens to be the 1,900th anniversary of the building of Hadrian’s Wall and it feels almost as long since English rugby fans headed north with so much apprehension. While the Calcutta Cup dates back “only” to 1879, Scotland have rarely been as fancied to retain the venerable trophy or inflict successive Six Nations defeats on their neighbours for the first time in 38 years.
There are myths about Murrayfield that we hear about every year. Some I agree with, some I don’t, but I can honestly say it is a stadium where the conditions can be like nowhere else. It is one of the hardest stadiums to play in because the shape of it means that when the wind gets inside the bowl it just doesn’t stop swirling.
The BBC panel is talking about defence. “Some guys are natural destroyers and some guys are natural creators,” says the former England captain Martin Johnson, who destroyed a few in his time.
Eddie J says Scotland are favourites:
Ireland’s 29-7 dismantling of Wales qualifies as a statement of intent ... Can Scotland do similar, and kick off their tournament with a second straight Six Nations win over England?
Scotland and England fans: What are your thoughts, hopes, dreams, fears? You can email me or tweet. Don’t be shy.
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Teams
Scotland: Hogg, Graham, Harris, Johnson, Van Der Merwe, Russell, Price, Sutherland, Turner, Z. Fagerson, Gray, Gilchrist, Ritchie, Watson, M. Fagerson. Replacements: McInally, Schoeman, Nel, Skinner, Bradbury, White, Kinghorn, Tuipulotu.
England: Steward, Malins, Daly, Slade, Marchant, Smith, Youngs, Genge, Cowan-Dickie, Sinckler, Itoje, Isiekwe, Ludlam, Curry, Simmonds. Replacements: George, Marler, Stuart, Ewels, Dombrandt, Randall, Ford, Nowell.
Referee: Ben O’Keeffe (New Zealand)
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Pre-match reading from Bryn Palmer:
Preamble
Everyone loves beating England. Scotland, in particular, take great pleasure from it and they outclassed and outfought the Auld Enemy at Twickenham last season. The difference this afternoon is that Gregor Townsend’s side, playing at home and prompted by the abundantly talented fly-half Finn Russell, are expected to win. Strong winds and heavy rain will play their part but present-day Scotland possess the tools to win in different ways: via forward grunt or attacking finesse.
Much has been made of Jones’s ‘New England’ in recent months and this is certainly a fresh-faced bunch, by accident or design. Many of them have never experienced a challenge quite like a Six Nations match at Murrayfield. Familiar names have either been dropped or are absent injured – Tom Curry is the side’s youngest captain since Will Carling. Marcus Smith is even younger but has displayed no lack of bottle for the big occasion. In the context of last season’s poor Six Nations showing, this can be characterised as one of the most important matches of Jones’s tenure.
Team news, pre-match reading and more coming up.
Kick-off: 4.45pm
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