Match report
Rob Kitson’s report has landed so I’ll sign off.
What a day of rugby that was. Two cracking games. I had so much fun calling them both for you. I hope you enjoyed it as much as I did.
We’ll keep on keeping on. Loads to ponder. Have Ireland turned a corner? Have Italy? Are England not as good as we thought? Can Scotland find a performance like that against a team that doesn’t wear white?
Loads to ponder. Happy Valentine’s Day. Hope you all feel loved this evening.
Our final correspondence goes to Rob [no surname – sorry Rob]:
Truth of matter is that England aren’t as good as they or we thought they were, there’s not much between Ireland, Scotland and Italy, and France are head and shoulders above anyone else.
Arthur Johnstone, a Scot in New Zealand, perhaps speaks for all:
How do I feel as a Scottish fan. Utterly despondent last week - really - how could we beat England. Today?
History repeating itself. I’m in NZ so often suffer the brick-bats from afar.
Not today - not for quite some time in this fixture though! I’m going to up, make a coffee, have a bacon sandwich and luxuriate in this temporary glow.
Proper sport, as it should be, exciting.
Unpredictable.
Here’s Gregor Townsend after his 100th Test in charge of Scotland:
I’m quote emotional. After 20 minutes I thought that was some of the best rugby we’ve ever played. So much ambition. That’s all you want as a coach. Then the effort in the second half and we became a real team that will fight for each other and our supporters. It’s great we can give them something to smile about for the next 12 months.
We were just true to ourselves. We moved the ball away from contact, were aggressive in contact and played at speed. That was one of Finn Russell’s best performance for Scotland. The work rate from our forwards was superb.
There are so many games where you play well but the opposition play well too and get narrow wins. We know we’re up there with the teams we come up against. For coaches, there is more a feeling of relief but for the players it’s joy. But we’re back on it next week. We’ll go to Cardiff and build on what we’ve done today.
Some more correspondence [keep em coming by the way]:
Phillip Haran:
Hi Daniel, Scotland have won their grand slam in beating England - nothing else matters.
No English player stopped the game to say kicking to them is a mistake, they love broken play. Their scrum is average but their backs are world class so why invite them onto to you with Russell playing brilliantly. Inability to change tactics and an inspired Scotland cost England that game.
Guy Hornsby:
I guess that’s the 10% that smacked us up. We’re a solid team but we lost to the better team today. It’s probably not a bad thing in the long run. Very average from a lot of players but we’d surely be better with freeman on the wing and Lawrence at 13.
M Hammond:
Rugby laws are a farce. Arundell’s first yellow was plain wrong. He clearly released in the tackle and got to his feet before challenging. His second yellow totally questionable-he got kneed in the face whilst his eyes were on the ball. Much like Ireland’s scrum half getting carded for getting head butted earlier today. The lawmakers need to take a look in the mirror.
Here’s Maro Itoje:
It was a tough game. There were pivotal moments that got away from us. We just have to take a hard look at the game and reassess to come back better next week.
In the first 20 minutes we have away a couple of penalties and field position. When we got into their side of the pitch we didn’t convert. That’s the nature of the beast. All teams are good in the Six Nations.
We need to start well [next week] with accuracy and precision, which we didn’t do here.
They play Ireland. Hard to predict how that one will go.
Finn Russell is speaking on ITV.
He saying it was up to the players to front up after a tough loss in Italy last week. He’s praising the forwards and saying “it’s always an easy game to get emptionally up for it”.
Dan Biggar points out that they need to back this up next week.
Russell agrees.
Serious question for Scottish fans:
How do you feel about when you consider your side look like world beaters against one team and one team only?
It must be absolutely maddening knowing that they have so much potential if only they could find this tenacity and class against everyone else.
Scotland top the Six Nations table!
They have six points, Englanf have. five.
France are yet to play Wales tomorrow, but until then the Scots are tops!
I got that wrong. I know I wasn’t the only one.
Gordon Manson has earned the right to laugh at all the Scottish doubters:
All your experts predicted an English win . I laugh in your faces . karma hah!
Enjoy the win mate!
There will be loads of questions after a pretty poor show from England.
Reader Joshua Keeling kicks things off:
So, so disappointing from England. Maybe that winning run made us look better than we actually are.
At the risk of sounding wise after the fact, I always thought that run felt a little overblown. Sure there were some impressive results. The win against New Zealand was special. But it never felt as it was a genuinely true reflection of this England team.
Full-time! Scotland 31-20 England
Scotland win it! They just love playing against England. The second half wasn’t as thrilling as the first, but that was a heck of a game of rugby. Loads of mistakes. Loads of magic moments. Some unreal individual performances and a bit of controversy and debate.
Scotland were a team in shambles last week. England were talking about a grand slam. Well, what a difference a week can make.
Scotland have done it again!
Updated
79 min: Steyn wins player of the match. Earl runs the restart back and England look to go from coast to coast. But they spill the ball inside their own 22 – their 10th knock on of the game – so Scotland have an opportunity to feed the scrum, secure the ball and secure the win.
TRY! Scotland 31-20 England (Earl, 78)
Ben Earl deserves that. He’s been the best England player, by a distance, and has earned a try. It started with a Pollock break down the right and ended with Earl walking over on the left. Ford’s extra two points from out wide means England still have a sniff of a bonus point.
Updated
76 min: Earl peels round off a scrum five out from Scotland’s line and he looks favourite to score, but the scramble defence was there in a flash and the England 8 was held up! A huge roar ripples around the stadium.
75 min: Good from Earl and then Pollock as England make ground. In a blink Steward has it down the right wing as Ford’s cross field kick found him in space. What’s the big lad going to do as Graham, half his size, lines him up? He’ll get crunched into touch, that’s what! Fantastic from the wee man in the. scrum cap. Sums up Scotland’s spirit in this match.
73 min: Horne lifts a high kick and Scotland win it back in the air. They really have bossed the skies. There’s a penalty against an England player and Graham, on for Dobie, taps and goes quickly. A little rash and he finds himself isolated and is turned over by Pollock under England’s sticks.
71 min: Scotland’s line-out continues to function well and this time they give it through the hands. Russell fizzes a pass to Dobie who spills backwards. England rally, kick ahead and then have it back when Scotland return the favour from deep. Spencer, on for Mitchell, continues the plan to hoist it high from the box.
70 min: Now Scotland win a scrum penalty as England collapse it. It’s all going well for the hosts who must be wondering why they can’t play like this against teams not called England.
Gerry Pike is seeing things from the other side:
Scotland have shown great spirit today but also demonstrated that the rapier beats the bludgeon. They have pace and directness aplenty, relishing attacking with the ball in hand. By contrast, England look pedestrian with the ball, over-reliant on their beefy forwards grinding forward. As a neutral, there is only oneside playing modern rugby.
Strong stuff from reader Ryan:
That twelve game run and some top drawer individual has obscured somewhat that Borthwick ball is what it always was. Players picked out of position. Aimless kicking. An attacking plan that revolves around one out bosh and with all the subtlety of a neon cybertruck at a village fete.
Picking a Head Coach on the basis of one good club season was always a mistake, and some of us said so at the time!
68 min: England survive! And they come away with a penalty thanks to Earl holding firm and Cummings coming straight off his feet to seal the ball. Poor from Scotland. They kept hammering the line with short carries but they never really looked like scoring. One wonders if they gave the ball a bit of air and allowed Jones or Tuipulotu a run at the line, what might have happened. No time to ponder, England win the line-out and almost release Pollock with a Ford high kick. But it’s knocked on.
67 min: A metre short. Six short carries have come up short.
66 min: Hayes was the guilty party, ripping the ball while on the floor. Scotland win the line-out and set the maul. Can they get this over? The backs join…
65 min: Scotland inches away after great work from the line-out. They’re so close. Cherry with a couple of drives. They have to score. Fagerson is there! No he’s not. They spill it but it’s OK as they have the penalty advantage. They’ll want to keep the ball down here for as long as possible. Or, of course, bag a game clinching try.
62 min: Scotland exit. England throw to the line around halfway but Scotland pinch a turnover. Steyn on the right wing plucks out a stunning take as if he were a cricket fielder on the boundary. Darge carries straight at Smith who holds firm. Scotland inch over halfway before Horne hoists it high. Earl catches it near the touchline on his 22 before he’s bundled out of touch. A lovely kick from Horne. Couldn’t have placed that any better and it means Scotland get the line-out throw just on England’s 22.
60 min: Another scrum penalty. This time it really is a last warning for Scotland before a yellow card is shown. Millar-Mills nailed for illegally wheeling. England back into the 22 off the top of a line-out. Mitchell snipes, beats his man, tries to free his arms but knock-on just at the last. Excellent from Mitchell until it wasn’t. But Scotland have to scrum under their own poles.
Paul Opie has a recipe for success:
Less box kicks, more Mitchell, g o to ground if tackled. Add one Pollock. England turn this around.
59 min: Scotland’s scrum is now functioning with a bit more confidence. They get this away but they’ll have to pack down again as Darge spills a short Russell pass that he wasn’t expecting. Stop start for a wee bit. Again, Scotland won’t mind if we staccato our way to the close.
58 min: A correction. Fin Smith has come on to replace Arundell. I know, it’s confusing. But England now back to 15.
They’ll contend with a scrum for Scotland after Pollock knocks on. The sting has been taken out of the game for the past five minutes. Not that Scotland will mind. This is going superbly for them. But they won’t want to let England back in this. An English try in the next few minutes could make things interesting.
57 min: Jamie George and Henry Pollock come on as England return to 15. Reminder that Arundell’s red card was just for 20 minutes. He can’t come back, but he can now be replaced. We’ll get started again with a Scottish line-out between their 22 and halfway.
56 min: England are back where they were just before Ford’s drop goal was charged down. But they’re too slow and Darge stoops low to win a breakdown penalty off Pepper. Flow of Scotland is being sung by the 100,000 Scots inside the Stadium.
TRY! Scotland 31-13 England (Jones, 53)
Scotland pull away in remarkable fashion! A dozen phases had England in Scotland’s 22 and Ford dropped a little deep to unfurl a drop goal. But not deep enough and Fagerson charged him down. Then the bounce was kind and Fagerson had it again and had the sense to pass to his left for Jones who sprinted all of 50 metres to score under the poles. Russell could have back-heeled that over to add two more. Is that the game?
Updated
51 min: A new front row for Scotland as Millar-Mills and Cherry enter the scene. Let’s see if that shores things up. Nope, England milk another penalty, their fourth at the scrum. Pepper makes good ground from slow ball. Freeman does likewise out on the right. Dingwall, Steward and Earl combine well down the left. They’re looking very good until Dingwall is nailed by Dobie. Still, England in the 22 and building.
50 min: Another scrum, this one on halfway. This time for England as Scotland repay the favour of spilling the ball on the ball. Earlier a swift exit meant that Scotland could clear their lines.
49 min: England spill the ball under the shade of Scotland’s poles! Genge made a monster carry but once he went to ground the ball was spilled forward. Not that England will mind scrumming down here.
Before that, Mitchell showed his class as he sniped down the blind side following a stiff maul from a line-out. He found a gap and almost got an off-load away under pressure. England were well set before that Genge spill.
Schoeman is subbed on. Scotland need to find some solidity in the scrum.
47 min: Scotland want to play away from their own patch. So they’re kicking deep. Freeman runs it back. Freeman has it again after Ford proves that he has so much time on the ball. Tuipuloty makes a tackle on Freeman but doesn’t roll away and gives away a soft penalty on the floor. Ford hoofs it out. Pollock is getting ready to join the party.
Penalty! Scotland 24-13 England (Ford, 45)
England take a bite of the elephant. They’ll want to scrum as much as possible now. Their set piece is utterly dominant.
Updated
44 min: Another scrum penalty for England. Nika Amashukeli warns Tuipulotu that another one will result in a yellow card. Ford lines up a simple penalty shot bang in front of the sticks.
43 min: Good work off the top of the line-out following a drive, then Itoje is hit as he runs a lovely midfield line. He makes good ground but the ball dribbles forward after the tackle. Simple work and almost perfectly executed. Better, but not good enough for England. Scrum to Scotland inside their own 22.
41 min: Scotland go over the top from a line-out and find Tuipulotu on the gallop. But there’s a penalty given away on the ground shortly after as Steyn is wrapped up by two English defenders and fails to release. Ford rakes a long touchfinder to set up an English line-out short of Scotland’s 22.
The players are back out. If the second 40 is as fun as the first we’ll be talking about this game for generations to come.
Timothy Beecroft is posing a phislophical headscratcher:
How many of those first half points were scored because of offensive brilliancy? And how may by defensive idiocy?
Let’s go through them:
Jones’ try = brilliancy. Scotland cut England up, and then Russell’s tip on was sublime.
Ritchies try = brilliancy. Steyn with the magic feet, Tuipulotu with a fantastic long range spiralling pass to Ritchie who benefited from his mates sucking in defenders on the right.
Arundell’s try = brilliancy. Ford’s little dummy and delayed pass was just sumptuous after sustained pressure from the big boys.
White’s try = idiocy. Genge will hope he never sees the replay of that howler ever again.
Mitchell really is kicking the leather off the ball.
Someone who watches him more than most has also picked up on this. Here’s James Prigmore:
As a Saints fan, I watch Mitchell a fair bit. I’ve seen him kick more in this game than I have this season for Saints. Does it ever really achieve anything? I’m told it does. At It’s best it seems to bring a scenario to 50/50. At its worst it ruins continuity. Frustrated Saints fan.
The thing is, England are not winning those 50/50s.
You see this a fair bit in rugby. Sometimes they act like grand armies of the Napoleonic era. Know what I mean? So much planning, so much homework, so much drill in the week, it’s like they stick to a set plan by the force of gravity.
Mixing a few metaphors there. Hope that landed.
I have no idea which way this is going to go.
I said that I couldn’t see Scotland winning. But shows what I know.
I’m cautious saying that I can’t see England coming back, but who honestly knows?
Here’s what Gursimran Grewal:
Still a lot of the match to play but looking like a long way back for England. Just cannot seem to stop making mistakes
And William Preston:
Scotland have come out with a single minded determination to get a proper stomp on and take this game in every area. It’s superb to watch.
Unless there’s some absolute thrilling heroics England are on for a total scrubbing here.
Now for some correspondence:
Joshua Keeling:
England have been a shambles so far. But like I said, Scotland are embarrassing - they only turn up against England.
Len Hampson:
I will never understand rugby union - the guy jumped into the player on the ground but the player on the ground got sent off. Strange rules.
Michael Wells:
As a biased Saints fan, Freeman is a good all round back, Arundell isn’t. That mistake may have cost England the game and a very fine run of wins. Great try scorer, but needs to expand his abilities does Arundell.
David Williams:
England once again showing zero fight in an away Calcutta Cup. Fair to say the only way this team wins anything is if they get a home World Cup.
Half-time: Scotland 24-10 England
I absolutely loved that! What a great half of Test rugby. Ding followed by dong. It was breathless. There was world class interplay and some brainless mistakes. Genge did whatever rugby’s equivalent of an own goal is. Arundell was sent off for copping two yellow cards. Russell was majestic. Steyn on the right wing was dazzling. Ford and Mitchell kicked balls into orbit. It’d a cliche, but that really had everything.
40 min: Ritchie is still down so it’s 14 on 14 for now. Ford chips for the onrushing Freeman who almost makes it stick. But he spills so Scotland counter. Jones finds Dobie in the left tram but his chip is charged by Steward so England have it back inside Scotland’s half.
39 min: Scotland win the line-out and kick high from White. Steward does well to gather a contestable under pressure. Ritchie is clutching his knee. That might be his race run. Mitchell dinks a box over the top that forces Russell to turn. He kicks to Steward who runs it back.
Red card for Arundell! 38 min
England down to 14! For 20 minutes at least. Hero last week, villain this week. No doubt that was a second yellow card. He took Steyn out in the air and he’s paid for his recklessness.
37 min: England with another line-out around halfway. Scotland managing to keep them at arm’s length for a spell. Still, the men in white show continuity before Mitchell hoists a high kick. Arundell takes out Steyn in the air. Ooooh, he’s already been shown a yellow. Ref says just a penalty. That really could have been another yellow. In fact, they will take a look. Arundell could be in trouble here.
35 min: Scotland win the scrum and rather than simply hoof it long, they run it out. Maniacs. Steyn has it out wide on the right and wriggles up to the 22. Then they kick and find touch over halfway. That is an excellent exit.
33 min: Immense from Scotland! England looked to have cracked the maul, but the Scots rallied and reformed and managed to isolate Cowan-Dickie at the back of the morass and hold him up. Excellent maul defence and a lesson in not giving up after losing the initial hit. Still, they need to survive this scrum with their heels touching their own try line.
32 min: Another scrum penalty for England. Pressure on for the Scottish pack. They had the feed but must now defend a line-out seven metres from their own line. England have to score here.
31 min: This game is being played at a million miles an hour. Every time I start to describe an event possession changes. Some kick tennis has Roebuck on the ball inside Scotland’s 22 but there was a knock-on just before so we’ll have a Scottish scrum. And a chance to take stock. What a remarkable contest this has been. Perhaps the one solace for England is that they’re starting to win the kick battle. If they stick with that and avoid the equivalent of own goals, they could yet rescue this.
TRY! Scotland 24-10 England (White, 27)
Calamity from Genge! Oh my goodness, that’s a howler from the Baby Rhino. A kick ahead, after a dazzling Steyn run and some fabulous interplay from, Russell, just needed mopping up from the covering Genge who ran back to gather. Except he spilled it, under almost no pressure, and White was there to score the easiest Test try of his career.
Russell then lands a tricky conversion.
What a horrible moment for Genge.
Updated
Penalty! Scotland 17-10 England (Ford, 26)
After shipping 17 points, England have now responded with 10 on the bounce. Game on!
25 min: Chessum plucks an intercept around halfway but Scotland rally and have the ball back. Until the kick it down field and Ford has it. Then Mitchell almost sniping through a half gap. Another penalty, this one against Ritchie, against Scotland for straying offside. Itoje consults the referee but he’s not having it. After a consultation with Ford, the England captain points to the posts. Should be a gimme for Ford right in front on the 22.
24 min: Swing Low rings out as England gather the restart. Mitchell hoists a high box and finds good touch around halfway. That gives us a chance to catch our breath. File the opening quarter of this one under H for humdinger.
TRY! Scotland 17-7 Scotland (Arundell, 22)
It’s raining tries! Off the line-out it felt inevitable. England kept hammering the line and hammering the line and hammering the line. Scottish defenders were sucked in and then a slick dummy and pass from Ford made the space for Arundell to his right. An easy conversion makes it a 10 point game.
Updated
20 min: England win the scrum penalty! They kick to the corner and will set a line-out five out.
19 min: England again have the ball after a scrappy line-out. They’re into the 22. All a bit one-up runners. Nothing too slick yet but they are keeping the ball. Seven phases. Ford spills it but backwards so they come agaib. Seven phases. Jones steps forward and makes a hit, holding the ball carrier up and winning the turnover. Scotland will have the scrum feed as Arundell rejoins the party with drinks all over the floor and the DJ playing howlers (does that party metaphor land?)
17 min: England have a line-out inside their own patch but it’s messy. They have it, but it didn’t work, whatever they were planning. So Mitchell hoists a high kick. Jones comes to get it but he’s helped by a teammate who obstructed the English chaser. So penalty for England.
TRY! Scotland 17-0 England (Ritchie, 14)
WHAT A START FOR SCOTLAND! Unreal scenes. They move the ball so quickly from the line-out. Russell straightens and then finds Dobie on the wraparound who then hits Steyn with a long floating pass on the right wing. He cuts back infield and they recycle the ball. Tuipulotu has it and luanches a long ball for Ritchie who is all alone on the left. He catches and walks over for a stunner. Russell nudges the extras and, oh my goodness, it’s 17-0!
Updated
13 min: Another spiralling high kick forces a mistake and Scotland have the scrum feed. In fact, they get the penalty as Cowan-Dickie is nailed by the TMO for tackling a Scot without the use of his arms. Easy exit from their 22 for Scotland as Russell finds touch down town.
TRY! Scotland 10-0 England (Jones, 10)
Outstanding from Russell! Form really goes out the window when Scotland play England. This is brilliant all round. Ball was clean from the line-out but the move crabbed from right to left. Nothing was happening until Russell tipped on a pass, as if he was swatting away a fly, and managed to get it to Jones who gathered and pinned his ears down as he found the edge and scored. Russell then slots the extras. The breakdown speed, the continuity, its all Scotland right now.
Updated
Yellow card, England! Arundell, 9
The winger doesn’t release the tackler as Scotland were cantering up field and looking dangerous. So he’ll have 10 minutes to contemplate his wicked ways as Scotland build from the line-out.
7 min: A bit of kick tennis until Russell gathers, runs, dummies the chaser and tees up a mate on his outside. Then Scotland kick again and win the ball back. There’s going to be a lot of looking up for both players this afternoon. Steyn has. He finds Jones. Scotland flooding forward. Brilliant. They now have a penalty and there’s a yellow card against Arundell! All Scotland as they ponder what to do inside England’s 22. Russell nudges to the corner.
6 min: England knock on as Arundell’s chase from the restart is spilled forward. Scotland’s scrum creaked against Italy’s. Will England target a penalty? They do, but Scotland get away with it as England went a little early. Free kick to the Scots.
Penalty! Scotland 3-0 England (Russell, 5)
Scotland on the board. Slick and quick from the hosts. They take a deserving lead with Russell’s swinging right boot.
4 min: Quick ball from Scotland thanks to Tuipulotu running at Ford. White has it fizzing. Ritchie with a stiff carry against the grain. Darge with it inside the 22. Advantage for Scotland. Dempsey wriggles from Chessum. Zander Fagerson burrows. Russell tries to unleash a mate out to the right but they’re going backwards so we come back for the penalty. Three points on offer which Russell accepts, bang in front of the sticks.
2 min: England get a meaty rumble on from the line-out and hoist a high kick off the back of it. Tuipulotu returns the kick and chases after it, putting England under pressure. Nice swift start from both teams. Scotland have the line-out on England’s 22 as Mitchell’s clearing kick was skewed off the boot.
George Ford gets us underway!
If we could distill the feeling when the music cuts out in Flower of Scotland, and the fans take over, we’d be millionaires.
Hook that right into my vein and call me in a week!
Loads made about Scotland’s team. A 5-3 bench split. No Duhan ven der Merwe. No Blair Kinghorn.
Once again, all eyes on Finn Russell’s magic hands and feet.
The players are out. Murrayfield looks delicious! If you’re reading this and you’ve not seen a Test at this famous ground, if you’ve not hear Flower of Scotland belted out to the shrill blast of bagpipes, you have yo make a plan. It’s one of the special grounds in rugby.
Moving beyond the boundary, but let’s tip a cap to England’s impressive skipper.
Maro Itoje speaks the truth here and has my respect:
Our regular contributor Guy Hornsby has been in touch:
Afternoon Daniel. A cracker in Dublin and now it’s Murrayfield, where I can’t see England getting done, BUT 10% of me is waiting to get an almighty slap of hubris in my face. Scotland have been much less than the sum of their parts and England are as cohesive as they’ve been in a decade. But if Scotland are up for any game, it’s this one. It’s a proper Test, and nothing would signal the burgeoning strength of this England team then a no bother win. The bench will be crucial but George Ford is the key to all of it. Bring it on!
I’ve consulted the Opta supercomputer and it’s not looking good for the hosts.
The big numbers have been crunched and they point to a 31-16 win for England who have a 74.1% chance of leaving Edinburgh with a victory on the occasion of Gregor Townsend’s 100th game in charge of Scotland.
England have already beaten Scotland once today.
Though even that was closer than many might have predicted.
Everything points to an English victory. Form, logic, reason, the laws of nature.
But none of that counts in this, does it? This is Scotland. This is Murrayfield. This is the land of bagpipes and tartan and haggis and all the other cliches that swirl around the discourse whenever the aul enemy have the temerity to roll up north and expect a triumph.
I’ll be honest. I can’t see Scotland winning this. But then how many times have we said that before?
Italy just gave Ireland a proper shock. Could Scotland flip the script and rally like those woad-painted warriors of old?
We’ll find out soon.
The teams
Scotland: Jordan, Steyn, Jones, Tuipulotu (c), Dobie, Russell, White; McBeth, Turner, Z Fagerson, Brown, Cummings, Ritchie, Darge, Dempsey.
Replacements: Cherry, Schoeman, Millar-Mills, Williamson, M Fagerson, Horne, Hastings, Graham.
England: Steward, Roebuck, Freeman, Dingwall, Arundell, Ford, Mitchell; Genge, Cowan-Dickie, Heyes, Itoje (c), Chessum, Pepper, Underhill, Earl.
Replacements: George, Rodd, Davison, Coles, T Curry, Pollock, Spencer, F Smith.
Preamble
Daniel will be here shortly. Until then, we’ve got plenty of preview material to pass the time before kick-off in this Calcutta Cup showdown.
