Scotland stunned England with a brilliant 31-20 Calcutta Cup triumph to belatedly kickstart their Six Nations in style and bring England’s 12-match winning run to a crashing halt at Murrayfield
Edinburgh has been no happy place for visiting English teams of late and Steve Borthwick’s side endured another day to forget as they found themselves 17-0 down before getting out of the changing room and Henry Arundell’s first-half red card for two yellows only compounded the problems.
They never properly got back within striking distance after that as Gregor Townsend brushed off the growing scrutiny surrounding his job to immediately banish memories of Scotland’s Rome debacle a week ago, as Huw Jones’ try double and scores for Jamie Ritchie and Ben White ensured an ultimately comfortable win.
Kyle Steyn was brilliant in the back three, Finn Russell had moments of magic in the first half especially and the Scots looked nothing like the side that were humiliatingly undone by Italy just seven days prior. Townsend will hope this can inspire sustained excellence for the rest of the championship rather than just being another flash-in-the-pan win over an England team who have developed something of a hoodoo against the Auld Enemy over the past decade.
Relive all the action from Murrayfield with our live blog below:
Scotland vs England live
- Brilliant Scotland beat England 31-20 to reclaim Calcutta Cup in style and belatedly kickstart Six Nations campaign
- REPORT: Scotland stun England as Calcutta Cup horror show brings winning run to a shuddering halt
- 53' - TRY! Jones streaks clear after Ford has drop goal blocked (SCO 31-13 ENG)
- 38' - RED CARD! Arundell sent off for second yellow card after clattering Steyn in the air (SCO 24-10 ENG)
- 28' - TRY! White capitalises after Genge calamity trying to dive on loose ball (SCO 24-10 ENG)
- 22' - TRY! Arundell trots over under the posts to get England on the board (SCO 17-7 ENG)
- 14' - TRY! Ritchie over in the corner as hosts continue to dominate (SCO 17-0 ENG)
- 10' - TRY! Jones surges over in the corner to cement Scotland's brilliant start (SCO 10-0 ENG)
Maro Itoje: 'We have to lick our wounds'
19:32 , Luke BakerEngland’s captain Maro Itoje was understandably disappointed after that defeat but says his side have no choice but to lick their wounds and get back to it
Steve Borthwick reacts to the defeat
19:21 , Harry Latham-Coyle“We are bitterly disappointed,” the England head coach says. “Huge credit to the Scotland team who played really well today. They got the advantage of those loose balls that came off the aerial contest. Playing such a huge part of the game without a winger against a team moving the ball so well to the edge, that hurt us.
“I think in that first 20 minutes, to concede the points we conceded and go down, was disappointing. Were gave them too much of a headstart and gave ourselves too much to do today. Playing 30 minutes of that first 50 with 14 men hurt us.
“There will be some areas, clearly, where we have to review. We spent a lot of time in the opposition 22 and had a lot of chances down that end of the field. We have to look at that and go, ‘what can we do better?’.”
All sweetness and light for Scotland?
19:16 , Luke BakerIs everything all hunky dory in the Scotland camp now? All issues forgotten? Perhaps not but this win certainly helps!
Gregor Townsend praises 'some of the best rugby we've ever played'
19:07 , Luke BakerThe under-fire Gregor Townsend was understandably thrilled with the Scotland performance and didn’t hold back in his praise.
Townsend told ITV: “I think I was just so proud of the way we played tonight.
“After 20 minutes I thought that was some of the best rugby we've every played. It’s all you want as a coach and then to see the effort in the second half, we became a team that would fight for each other and the supporters.
“A special mention to our supporters. We’ve given them something to shout about for the next 12 months.
“We know that rugby brings out the best in us, being very aggressive and playing at speed. I thought that was one of Finn Russell's best games for Scotland and the work rate of our forwards was superb.
“There’s so many games that you play well but the opposition play well too and they can get narrow wins or come back and win. We know we're up there with the teams we come up against, sometimes you can’t get the win but we’re really pleased we got it today.
“The players can share the joy with their families, they can enjoy having the trophy in the changing room but we're back on it next week and we go to Cardiff to build on what we did today.”
Scotland lift the Calcutta Cup
18:48 , Luke BakerMore Calcutta Cup joy for Scotland in Edinburgh. They have come to dominate this fixture in recent time.
Scotland stun England as Calcutta Cup horror show brings winning run to a shuddering halt
18:43 , Luke BakerConsider the Calcutta Cup form books once again tossed out of the window. What is it about this fixture, what is it about this Scotland side?
After defeat to Italy, Gregor Townsend’s tenure and team had seemed listless, almost lifeless, an emptying vessel; we will find out what restorative effect a few sups of sweet spirit from the Calcutta Cup can have after a dismantling of England that no one saw coming.
Add another Murrayfield horror show to England’s haunting recent history. The Calcutta Cup has provided a few dark days for recent visitors here but never anything quite like this, a side who bounced up over the border on a run of 12 consecutive victories sent home to think again.
Defeat may not be terminal to their Six Nations chances but the prospect of a grand slam charge, which seemed realistic ahead of kick off, swirled swiftly away into the crisp Edinburgh skies.
Read Harry Latham-Coyle’s full report from Murrayfield:
Scotland stun England to bring winning run to a halt in Calcutta Cup horror show
FULL-TIME! Scotland 31-20 England
18:31 , Luke BakerThe ball is booted out and SCOTLAND WIN THE CALCUTTA CUP.
They made a flying start and dominated England today. They were absolutely superb. What a response to last week’s Italy debacle.
England’s long winning run comes to an end and dare we say France will be cracking a smile this evening.
Scotland 31-20 England, 80 mins
18:29 , Luke BakerEngland dreaming of a losing bonus point? That probably won’t happen now as they knock on - a 10th handling error of the day - shortly after the kick-off.
Scotland will run this clock down and kick the ball out.
TRY! Scotland 31-20 England (Ben Earl, 78 mins)
18:28 , Luke BakerConsolation for England and Ben Earl has his try. He’s been England’s best player today.
Pollock busts down the right wing to set England up before the ball is worked all the way across and a long pass out to Earl on the left touchline to rumble across the line.
Good conversion by Ford to narrow the gap further but there will be no comeback today.
Scotland 31-13 England, 77 mins
18:26 , Luke BakerEngland win the scrum and this is a golden chance for a second try. Earl goes the long way round from the back and surges towards the line on the right.
But gutsy defence and he’s held up over the line! Great stuff again from the Scots.
Scotland 31-13 England, 75 mins
18:24 , Luke BakerSteward collects a Ford kick in space on the right wing and charges down the flank but that’s a superb tackle by Graham covering across! Steward dithered and Graham caught him, pushing him into touch in the 22.
Try-saver from the Scotland wing.
Scotland 31-13 England, 74 mins
18:23 , Luke BakerDarcy Graham bursts into the 22 but Pollock does well to win a turnover and England can start from halfway with the lineout.
They’re just playing for pride at this point really.
Scotland 31-13 England, 71 mins
18:19 , Luke BakerMillar-Mills has stabilised the Scottish scrum since coming on, to be fair. Murrayfield is raucous now - their fans know the Calcutta Cup is heading back to Edinburgh this evening.
On the field, the players rumble a maul into the England 22 and then spread the ball right but it hits the deck.
Scotland 31-13 England, 69 mins
18:18 , Luke BakerSurely England’s long winning run is coming to an end now? Ben Spencer on for Alex Mitchell at scrum half anyway.
This has been a masterclass from Scotland. and now they win a scrum penalty for good measure! Everything going their way
Scotland 31-13 England, 68 mins
18:16 , Luke BakerScotland looking to close this out and set up the maul from the lineout. It’s driving towards the line...
Cherry stopped inches short. The white wall trying to hold firm. Schoeman goes but stopped.
Eight phases and ENGLAND WIN THE PENALTY! Superb English defence and Scotland are sealing off. Steve Borthwick’s men survive. They have the faintest of pulses still...
Scotland 31-13 England, 65 mins
18:13 , Luke BakerScotland rumble forward from the lineout maul with Cherry cradling the ball at the back. Penalty coming for the Scots. Well into the 22 - we come back for the penalty...
Scotland 31-13 England, 64 mins
18:11 , Luke BakerSteyn with a brilliant take in the air after Horne’s kick, giving Scotland a platform in enemy territory. Earl then claims a loose ball but is bundled into touch on his own 22. Scotland’s kicking today has been sublime.
They can kill the game off for good here
Scotland 31-13 England, 62 mins
18:09 , Luke BakerFive-metre scrum for Scotland to deal with though. And that’s better, they go sideways, get the ball out and Russell thumps it up towards halfway. Good game management.
Scotland 31-13 England, 61 mins
18:08 , Luke BakerDarge knocks on from Russell’s pop pass on halfway, so England can build from a scrum. Yet another scrum penalty - the next one, against anyone Scottish, will be a yellow card says the referee.
England build from the lineout on the 22 but the ball is knocked on around the five-metre line. Another mistake with the line at their mercy - the third time England have done that today.
Scotland 31-13 England, 59 mins
18:05 , Luke BakerEngland finally back to 15 men as Fin Smith trots on, after Henry Arundell’s 20-minute red card. Smith will play at 12, Fraser Dingwall to 13 and Tommy Freeman out to the left wing.
George Horne on for Ben White at scrum half for Scotland meanwhile.
England trail by 17 points and need to get back in this match ASAP, otherwise it Calcutta Cup curtains once more for Steve Borthwick’s side.
England forced into reshuffle
18:05 , Harry Latham-Coyle at MurrayfieldLooking over to my left, Steve Borthwick and Richard Wigglesworth are having an animated discussion and looking slightly short of ideas. Fin Smith has come on in midfield out of necessity - England have weaponised their bench so effectively since last summer but this doesn’t quite have that “Pom Squad” feel. Surely Scotland have already done enough?
Scotland 31-13 England, 57 mins
18:02 , Luke BakerFour changes for England - Bevan Rodd, Jamie George, Alex Coles and Henry Pollock on for Genge, Cowan-Dickie, Itoje and Pepper. George is skipper with Itoje going off. Last throw of the dice for England?
Jack Dempsey replaced by Max Williamson for Scotland.
Scotland 31-13 England, 56 mins
18:01 , Luke BakerScotland mess up the restart and England have the platform to hit back immediately.
But after 10 phases it’s superb from Darge! He scavenges the ball at the ruck in his own 22 and wins the turnover. Huge celebration! And Flower of Scotland is ringing round Murrayfield.
Scotland have almost broken the back of this game...
TRY! Scotland 31-13 England (Huw Jones, 53 mins)
17:59 , Luke BakerDISASTER FOR ENGLAND! They opt for the drop goal, Ford drops into the pocket but he’s not deep enough, doesn’t have enough time and Matt Fagerson charges it down!
From there, Fagerson picks the ball up and flips inside to Huw Jones, who has the pace to charge the rest of the length of the field and dot down under the posts.
Conversion added and that is a hammer blow for England, just when they were getting back into the match.
Scotland 24-13 England, 52 mins
17:57 , Luke BakerAnother scrum penalty for England. Complete domination at that set-piece. They run some plays with that advantage in hand and it’s lovely passing from Dingwall, over the top to Earl and England are into the 22.
Dingwall then gets mashed in possession by Dobie to stop a potentially devastating offload before Freeman barrels up to within 10 metres of the line...
Twelve phases and England still going.
Benches begin to come on
17:55 , Harry Latham-Coyle at MurrayfieldI think this is sooner than Gregor Townsend might have wanted to take off Zander Fagerson but the tighthead had been warned about his scrummaging by Nika Amshukeli, and it is therefore surely sensible to get Elliot Millar Mills on. England, meanwhile, have four fresh bodies ready - Jamie George, Alex Coles, Bevan Rodd and Henry Pollock loom primed for action.
Scotland 24-13 England, 51 mins
17:55 , Luke BakerThe England scrum puts pressure on Scotland again on the five-metre line, rising them up, but the Scots hold on to the ball and Jones scampers up to the 22 with his carry.
Now we’ll have another scrum near halfway. The more scrums, the better for England you’d say.
All-new Scottish front row now as Dave Cherry and Elliot Millar-Mills enter the fray
Scotland 24-13 England, 49 mins
17:51 , Luke BakerAbout eight minutes of Arundell’s red card remaining. But they’re the team pushing forward here.
The lineout sets them up near the 22 and they dart inside with a Mitchell dummy and snipe. Genge then goes straight, up to the five-metre line.
But a huge turnover! Itoje didn’t clear out well enough, Scotland get bodies over it and win the scrum. Big.
A substitution as Nathan McBeth replaced by Pierre Schoeman in the Scottish front row.
Scotland 24-13 England, 47 mins
17:49 , Luke BakerA kicking battle between Ford and Russell before the latter with a bit of a loose pass to Tom Jordan, who manages to pluck it form behind him and set up a ruck in his own half.
England recycle on halfway - they probe a couple of times and win the penalty when Tuipulotu doesn’t roll away after the tackle on Dingwall. Boos from the crowd but England will have a platform jsut outside the 22.
PENALTY! Scotland 24-13 England (George Ford, 45 mins)
17:46 , Luke BakerThat’s a third penalty at scrum-time for England and Scotland are given a last warning - next time Zander Fagerson will be yellow carded.
England opt to take the points, George Ford plinks the ball through the posts from bang in front. The gap is narrowed to 11...
Scotland 24-10 England, 43 mins
17:45 , Luke BakerItoje rumbles through the middle, taking England into the 22 but the skipper knocks on after being tackled, trying to lay the ball back in the ruck, and Scotland earn the scrum.
The Scottish scrum creaked at points in that first 40 minutes. This time, we get an initial reset (of course!), Nika Amashukeli has a word with both teams and then England win the penalty when it collapses again!
Scotland 24-10 England, 42 mins
17:42 , Luke BakerSurely England have to score next to stay in this game? Good defence from them to start, wrapping up Steyn who holds on, on the floor.
Ford boots the penalty down towards the 22, where England can build from a lineout platform.
KICK-OFF! Scotland 24-10 England
17:41 , Luke BakerBack underway at Murrayfield
Half-time changes as Matt Fagerson comes on Jamie Ritchie in the Scotland back row and Tom Curry is on for Sam Underhill for England.
Plus, the bunker has confirmed that Henry Arundell’s red card is just a 20-minute red, so England will back up to 15 men in due course.
WATCH: Ellis Genge's calamity
17:37 , Luke BakerEllis Genge won’t want to watch this back as Ben White takes advantage for Scotland’s third try
WATCH: Henry Arundell shown a second yellow card
17:33 , Luke BakerHere’s the moment Henry Arundell was given his marching orders
Henry Arundell's mixed afternoon...
17:32 , Luke BakerFair to say, it’s been a mixed afternoon for Henry Arundell today. The joy of scoring a try but two yellow cards, leading to a red...
England in all sorts of bother
17:31 , Harry Latham-Coyle at MurrayfieldOne of the pleasures of coming to Murrayfield is that the press seats are directly adjacent to the coaching box, which means I am sat about 10 feet from a furious Steve Borthwick, who spent most of that half with arms crossed and a face of stone. England are in all sorts of bother here – they will be able to replace Henry Arundell, of course, in a little bit, but the make-up of their bench means there will be a major reshuffle. I’d expect Fin Smith to come on and go to inside centre, with Fraser Dingwall pushing out one wider and Tommy Freeman on to the wing. Ben Earl could also be utilised in midfield, but it’s a real mess regardless.
HALF-TIME! Scotland 24-10 England
17:27 , Luke BakerAND BREATHE! What a ludicrous half of rugby!
Where to begin? Scotland were 17-0 up before England had come out of the changing rooms and although the visitors started to hit back, a calamitous Ellis Genge mistake trying to grab a loose ball enabled Ben White to score Scotland’s third try.
Henry Arundell was then shown a red card for two separate yellows! He’s done for the day and England will stay down to 14 men until his 20-minute red is up and someone can come on to replace him. Madness.
Scotland 24-10 England, 40 mins
17:24 , Luke BakerThis has been absolutely frantic and played at such a pace.
Steward does well to claim a high ball under serious pressure. Scotland are generally having the best of the aerial battle.
Jamie Ritchie is hobbling though. That looks like a leg injury
RED CARD! Scotland 24-10 England (Henry Arundell, 38 mins)
17:20 , Luke BakerBoos and jeers around Murrayfield as Arundell, who already has a yellow card to his name, clatters Kyle Steyn as he comes down competing for an aerial ball.
TMO review...
AND HENRY ARUNDELL IS GONE! He’s shown a second yellow card, so that’s a 20-minute red for the England winger. Not sure he can argue there - it was dangerous, he couldn’t compete properly and contacted Steyn in the air.
England are in BIG trouble here.
England look shellshocked
17:19 , Harry Latham-Coyle at MurrayfieldEngland look totally shellshocked, here, a few Murrayfield ghosts coming back to haunt them. Steve Borthwick’s side have been defensively excellent over the last few months but they’ve missed 20 tackles already - remarkable.
Scotland 24-10 England, 36 mins
17:18 , Luke BakerBetter from the Scottish scrum. Holds firm enough to get the ball out and they fling it all the way to the right touchline where Steyn takes it up to the edge of their own 22.
That enables a thumping kick clear to halfway, where England will have to build again. That was well dealt with by the Scots.
Scotland 24-10 England, 34 mins
17:16 , Luke BakerThe England maul rumbles, stops, then goes again but it’s more sideways than forwards. TURNOVER!
Great maul defence by Scotland, the ball gets stuck as it collapses and Scotland get the scrum. It’s five metres form their own line, so hardly out of danger just yet, but that was a big moment.
Scotland 24-10 England, 32 mins
17:14 , Luke BakerScotland with a scrum in their own 22. Another chance for the England pack to try and crack their Scottish counterparts. And they do!
The scrum collapses immediately. Referee Nika Amashukeli blames Scotland and England kick to the corner. No going for the posts here.
Scotland 24-10 England, 30 mins
17:12 , Luke BakerAny chance of a breather in this match? It’s been relentless. What a game of rugby!
TRY! Scotland 24-10 England (Ben White, 28 mins)
17:11 , Luke BakerCALAMITY for Ellis Genge! And Scotland strike again!
It’s more sublime brilliance from Finn Russell. He slips through a hole that isn’t there, sliding between defenders and making the break. He pops a kick over the top and it’s Genge retreating to try and dive on it in his own 22.
But the ball squirts away from him, goes towards the try-line and Ben White gleefully scoots past him and grabs the loose ball for a simple try. WOW!
Easy conversion for Russell and England’s good work to get back within striking distance undone in a moment.
PENALTY! Scotland 17-10 England (George Ford, 26 mins)
17:09 , Luke BakerMuch, much better from England and they win a penalty just on the 22. A moment’s contemplation from Maro Itoje but he opts to go for the posts.
Correct decision, you’d say. It’s very central and George Ford bangs the penalty over with ease. England back within a score
Scotland 17-7 England, 24 mins
17:07 , Luke BakerEngland build off that try and work their way into Scottish territory immediately. Some good carries from the English front five - they’re just starting to get a foothold at last
TRY! Scotland 17-7 England (Henry Arundell, 22 mins)
17:05 , Luke BakerPowerful carry up the gut by Freeman - that’s what he brings in the 13 channel.
Thena touch of class from George Ford, throws the dummy and fires a short, flat pass to Henry Arundell instead, with the England winger trotting in under the posts.
Easy conversion and a real nerve-settler for England after that disastrous start.
Scotland 17-0 England, 21 mins
17:03 , Luke BakerLineout is solid and the maul grinds to within a couple of metres of the line. The visitors can’t afford to spurn this opportunity.
Scotland 17-0 England, 20 mins
17:02 , Luke BakerEngland would have hoped the scrum was an area of dominance and for the first time today, they have something to work with.
They win the penalty at the scrum, against the head and kick to the corner. Lineout five metres out...
Scotland 17-0 England, 18 mins
17:01 , Luke BakerEngland’s lineout is solid at least and gives them a platform. Earl carries into contact and well into the 22.
England go to the left, Steward takes the ball in but it’s great Scotland defence! They hold up the England full back and win the turnover! That sums things up for the visitors so far.
Henry Arundell comes back on, sin-bin over. We’re back to 15 vs 15 and not a moment too soon for Steve Borthwick’s side.
Scotland 17-0 England, 16 mins
17:00 , Luke BakerEngland have to settle down here. Ritchie is pinged for blocking, so England at least havea bit of reprieve and can set up in the Scotland half.
TRY! Scotland 17-0 England (Jamie Ritchie, 14 mins)
16:58 , Luke BakerWOW, WOW, WOW! This is dreamland for Scotland. England are asleep at the wheel but Scotland are taking full advantage.
They go one way, then the other. Freeman and the England defence are caught static. A long looping pass finds Jamie Ritchie on the left wing and he has a stroll into the corner. England are nowhere!
Murrayfield is rocking, Russell adds the conversion and England are shell-shocked. 17-0! This is huge
Scotland 10-0 England, 12 mins
16:56 , Luke BakerIf Russell can bring his brilliance today, Scotland have a great chance in this match. So far, so good.
Scotland on the attack again here from the set-piece.
TRY! Scotland 10-0 England (Huw Jones, 10 mins)
16:54 , Luke BakerWOW! This has been sublime from Scotland and they take advantage.
The lineout is solid and they set things up. The ball is spread left, it’s a glorious tip-on pass by Finn Russell to Huw Jones and he shows his pace to get round the outside and in for the score. Superb!
Russell adds the conversion and they’re going at a point a minute. Good value for their 10-0 lead.
SIN-BIN! Scotland 3-0 England (Henry Arundell, 9 mins)
16:52 , Luke BakerThis is superb from Scotland. White with a box kick that puts England under pressure and Scotland are throwing the ball about with abandon here.
Henry Arundell scampers back well but fails to release the ball on the ground to slow a Scotland attack and is shown a yellow card for his troubles!
Scotland kick to the corner, England down to 14 and reeling.
Scotland 3-0 England, 7 mins
16:49 , Luke BakerThe English scrum was presumed to be an area of dominance for the visitors but Genge is pinged for pushing early and Scotland can clear their lines.
PENALTY! Scotland 3-0 England (Finn Russell, 4 mins)
16:46 , Luke BakerThe penalty is bang in front and it’s easy for Finn Russell to slot it. First blood, Scotland.
And a promising start for Gregor Townsend’s men.
Scotland 0-0 England, 3 mins
16:45 , Luke BakerScotland stay tight through Brown, McBeth and then Darge. Penalty coming for the hosts but they continue to probe in the 22.
We’ll come back for the offside and Scotland opt to go for the posts.
Scotland 0-0 England, 2 mins
16:44 , Luke BakerAn end-to-end start here. Mitchell under pressure from Tuipulotu and finds touch but a great platform for the hosts.
They crash into the 22 from the lineout
KICK-OFF! Scotland 0-0 England
16:43 , Luke BakerUnderway in Edinburgh. Who will win this Calcutta Cup?
Teams are out
16:35 , Luke BakerBoth sides are out at Murrayfield, the anthems underway and kick-off is imminent. Not long now
England vs Scotland match officials
16:30 , Harry Latham-CoyleReferee: Nika Amashukeli (Geo)
Assistant Referees: Andrea Piardi (Ita) & Gianluca Gnecchi (Ita)
Television Match Official: Marius van der Westhuizen (SA)
Foul Play Review Officer: Matteo Liperini (Ita)
Scotland vs England referee: Who is Six Nations official Nika Amashukeli?
Both teams in the house
16:25 , Luke BakerPlenty of fans turned out to welcome both teams to Murrayfield earlier today
Maro Itoje urges England to be ‘aggressors’ in Calcutta Cup clash with Scotland
16:20 , Harry Latham-CoyleMaro Itoje has challenged England to be the “aggressors” in their Calcutta Cup clash with Scotland as they seek to further their Six Nations title hopes.
England arrive at Murrayfield on a run of 12 consecutive victories but needing to correct a troublesome recent record in this fixture, with Scotland winning three of their last four meetings in Edinburgh.
Itoje lifted the Calcutta Cup for the first time after a narrow victory at Twickenham last year, but knows that the challenge will be greater here.
“I want us to be aggressive, accurate, and play with confidence,” Itoje said. “It is going to be a very physical game. Every time we play them and every time we play them up here it’s always a physical game.”
Maro Itoje urges England to be ‘aggressors’ in Calcutta Cup clash with Scotland
Wingin' it
16:10 , Harry Latham-CoyleI think Scotland will try and go after Henry Arundell under the high ball at times. The England wing is improving in that regard but Kyle Steyn is an outstanding operator as a kick-chaser, and both he and Jamie Dobie will be keen to make an impact having been seldom sighted last week. Gregor Townsend admitted that he had considered bringing back Duhan van der Merwe, England’s kryptonite, for this fixture, but has backed the form of the Glasgow pair.
Van der Merwe, incidentally, is the 24th man for Scotland today. Blair Kinghorn returned to Toulouse on Wednesday - his continued absence is probably more surprising.
A big chance for Nathan McBeth
16:00 , Harry Latham-CoyleTo respect the conventions and superstitions of the theatre, we should probably refer to Nathan McBeth as the Scottish prop. This is a huge opportunity for the Glasgow man, somewhat surprisingly preferred to Pierre Schoeman after the loosehead’s off day in Rome. Joe Heyes has quietly been one of England’s best performers in this long winning run, and will surely look to get after a relatively untested international prop.
“I thought Nathan made a massive impact off the bench last week, particularly in the set piece,” Sione Tuipulotu said of the Scottish prop yesterday. “He's a quiet guy, and he leads by action. In my years at Glasgow, he’s often been the guy that you look back you watch the tape and he's making all these plays you didn't expect him to make, and it's because he cares. So I think it's the perfect time for him to get his opportunity in a big match that I know he cares about a lot tomorrow.”
Team news - England
15:50 , Harry Latham-CoyleSteve Borthwick names a settled England side after securing a 12th successive win. Captain Maro Itoje returns in the second row at the expense of Alex Coles, while there is a swap at hooker as Jamie George, stand-in skipper against Wales, and Luke Cowan-Dickie trade starting and bench roles.
Among the replacements is a fit-again Fin Smith, who will provide fly half and centre cover as six forwards are again readied to make an impact.
England XV: 1 Ellis Genge, 2 Luke Cowan-Dickie, 3 Joe Heyes; 4 Maro Itoje (capt.), 5 Ollie Chessum; 6 Guy Pepper, 7 Sam Underhill, 8 Ben Earl; 9 Alex Mitchell, 10 George Ford; 11 Henry Arundell, 12 Fraser Dingwall, 13 Tommy Freeman, 14 Tom Roebuck; 15 Freddie Steward.
Replacements: 16 Jamie George, 17 Bevan Rodd, 18 Trevor Davison, 19 Alex Coles, 20 Tom Curry, 21 Henry Pollock; 22 Ben Spencer, 23 Fin Smith.
Bring it on 👊
— England Rugby (@EnglandRugby) February 10, 2026
England Senior Men's head coach Steve Borthwick has named his 23-player match day squad to face Scotland this Saturday 🌹@O2 | #WearTheRose
Team news - Scotland
15:45 , Harry Latham-CoyleThere are four changes to the Scotland side, all in the pack, as Gregor Townsend wields the axe after the defeat to Italy. Nathan McBeth earns a surprise start at loosehead, with Pierre Schoeman’s demotion meaning and a neck injury to Ewan Ashman meaning there is no Edinburgh player in the starting side.
Former captain Jamie Ritchie is back on the blindside, though, and the back three are trusted to go again with Duhan van der Merwe and Blair Kinghorn once more left out.
Scotland XV: 1 Nathan McBeth, 2 Dave Cherry, 3 Zander Fagerson; 4 Gregor Brown, 5 Scott Cummings; 6 Jamie Ritchie, 7 Rory Darge, 8 Jack Dempsey; 9 Ben White, 10 Finn Russell; 11 Jamie Dobie, 12 Sione Tuipulotu (capt.), 13 Huw Jones, 14 Kyle Steyn; 15 Tom Jordan.
Replacements: 16 Dave Cherry, 17 Pierre Schoeman, 18 Elliot Millar Mills, 19 Max Williamson, 20 Matt Fagerson; 21 George Horne, 22 Adam Hastings, 23 Darcy Graham.
Ready 🏴#AsOne pic.twitter.com/uHCDdg2OCF
— Scottish Rugby (@Scotlandteam) February 13, 2026
A good omen for England?
15:40 , Harry Latham-CoyleIt’s a crisp and dry day in Edinburgh, the sun out but not doing much to warm those plodding up from Haymarket and into Murrayfield. This is the second helping of Anglo-Scottish sport of the day - in India, Harry Brook’s side have secured a vital win at the T20 World Cup with Tom Banton and the bowling attack to the fore. It’s an almost spooky coincidence that the game was in Kolkata, the city that gave this fixture its name with a prize of melted down rupees.
Anyway, back to the rugby, and let’s take a closer look at the two teams.
Cross-border links
15:30 , Harry Latham-CoyleThere are plenty of players in each side today that could have represented the other half of the Calcutta Cup rivalry. Bevan Rodd, Tom Roebuck, Henry Pollock, Fin Smith, Fraser Dingwall and Henry Pollock would all have been Scottish qualified had they chosen that route, while scrum half Ben White was an England Under 20s captain.
Why Calcutta Cup is 'perfect occasion' for Scotland to bounce back
15:20 , Harry Latham-CoyleGregor Brown believes a Calcutta Cup showdown with England is the perfect way for Scotland to try to banish their Italy frustration.
The Scots made a dire start to their Guinness Six Nations campaign as they went down 18-15 to the Azzurri in Rome on Saturday.
The defeat all but ended their hopes of contending for the championship and piled renewed pressure on embattled head coach Gregor Townsend, who vowed to soldier on afterwards.
Versatile Glasgow forward Brown, starts at lock today, offered his apologies to the travelling support and he hopes they can go some way to making amends for a result that "really hurt" by bouncing back with a victory over the Auld Enemy at Murrayfield.
"I think after a result like that and the frustration, England at Murrayfield is the perfect occasion to try and bounce back," said the 24-year-old. "This next game is the biggest of the championship for us.
"A home game at Murrayfield is one of the best things as a Scottish player. To have that occasion off the back of a loss is something we need to get excited about. We'll review Italy and really attack the week."
Freddie Steward: Losing England spot made me a better rugby player and person
15:10 , Harry Latham-CoyleFreddie Steward insists his second coming as England full-back has been the making of him as he prepares for a poignant return to Murrayfield.
Steward’s grip on the number 15 jersey, which at one point spanned 28 consecutive Tests, ended abruptly when he was dropped for George Furbank for the 2024 Six Nations clash with Scotland.
Head coach Steve Borthwick saw Furbank as providing an extra attacking dimension in the backfield, but Steward still had to journey to Edinburgh as travelling reserve.
It became an unsparing demotion when it was covered during the second series of the Netflix documentary ‘Six Nations: Full Contact’, during which England’s high ball master is seen making an emotional call to his girlfriend to tell her the news.
Furbank, Marcus Smith and Elliot Daly were given opportunities in the position until Steward, having sharpened his attacking game and improved his one-on-one defence, was reinstated for the 2025 summer tour – and has started every major Test since.
Freddie Steward: Losing England spot made me a better rugby player and person
Sione Tuipulotu out to 'change the narrative' around Scotland
15:00 , Harry Latham-CoyleSione Tuipulotu pointed to Calcutta Cup rivals England as an example of how Scotland can emerge from their slump and "change the narrative".
The Scots go into today’s Murrayfield showdown with the Auld Enemy under a cloud after losing their opening Six Nations away to Italy last weekend.
That 18-15 reversal in Rome made it seven defeats in a row against sides ranked in the top 10 in the world and brought fresh scrutiny on head coach Gregor Townsend.
Captain Tuipulotu acknowledged his team are under pressure to deliver, but he noted Steve Borthwick's England were in a similar predicament a year ago as they entered the Six Nations on the back of a run of seven losses in 10 matches.
"I understand that the fixtures have been disappointing, to say the least, over the last three, four...even leading back into the autumn," Tuipulotu said at his captain's run press conference on Friday. "But we're the ones in the changing room and we've got to stick together through this time.
"It's quite funny, looking back at England's journey to the last Six Nations, they lost their opening game of the Six Nations (against Ireland), and before that, were on a massive losing streak.
"The media were on top of them, on top of their coach, and they did managed to turn it around. Credit to them. Now they're on a 12-game win streak. So we've got to focus on ourselves and try to change the narrative, but also just get our championship back on the road."
How England plan to unsettle ‘unflappable’ Finn Russell in Calcutta Cup clash
14:50 , Harry Latham-CoyleEngland flanker Sam Underhill has hailed Scotland fly half Finn Russell as “unflappable” ahead of the Calcutta Cup clash — and joked that he cannot lay a hit on his clubmate in Bath training because he is “too expensive”.
England will look to further their Six Nations title tilt as they seek a 13th successive Test victory, though Steve Borthwick’s side have endured some difficult days at Murrayfield in recent years.
Scotland have had the better of their rivalry with the Auld Enemy since a Russell-inspired success in Edinburgh in 2018, winning the last two meetings on home soil with their fly half again to the fore.
How England plan to unsettle ‘unflappable’ Finn Russell in Calcutta Cup clash
Inside the mind of George Ford – and a rebirth that defines England rugby
14:40 , Harry Latham-CoyleGeorge Ford once again has a place of relative permanency in the No 10 shirt for England, a scenario that looked unlikely at this time last year.
Inside the mind of George Ford – and a rebirth that defines England rugby
England boss Steve Borthwick defends under-pressure Scottish counterpart Gregor Townsend ahead of Calcutta Cup
14:30 , Harry Latham-CoyleSteve Borthwick issued a staunch defence of the coaching qualities of his counterpart earlier in the week.
Borthwick defends under-pressure Scottish counterpart Townsend ahead of Calcutta Cup
Gregor Townsend accepts criticism is ‘part of the game’ ahead of pivotal Calcutta Cup clash
14:20 , Harry Latham-CoyleUnder-fire Scotland boss Gregor Townsend has conceded that criticism and outside noise is “part of the game”, though says it should not distract from his side’s attempts to win the Calcutta Cup against England.
Townsend is under increasing pressure after a limp opening showing from Scotland against Italy in Rome to start the Six Nations, which followed dispiriting defeats to New Zealand and Argentina in the autumn.
The head coach extended his contract as recently as September but has come under scrutiny since, with former Scotland captain John Barclay suggesting last weekend that Townsend will have to go if the side fail to secure a top three tournament finish.
Townsend accepts criticism is ‘part of the game’ ahead of Calcutta Cup
Gregor Townsend transformed Scotland’s Calcutta Cup fortunes – now England could hasten his end
14:10 , Harry Latham-CoyleScotland boss Gregor Townsend enters the Calcutta Cup under real pressure, with scrutiny over his side’s performances and the coach’s consultancy role with Red Bull heightened by a first round defeat to Italy. This fixture has given him life before, though...
Townsend transformed Scotland’s Calcutta Cup fortunes – now it could hasten his end
Tommy Freeman is England’s best wing – here’s why they are picking him at outside centre in this Six Nations
14:00 , Harry Latham-CoyleTommy Freeman is a figure of real importance to the English backline, with the Northampton man given another opportunity to further his development at outside centre today. Why is Steve Borthwick so keen to see him at 13? Here’s an in-depth analysis:
Freeman is England’s best wing – why are they picking him at outside centre?
Maro Itoje says England action is helping him deal with personal tragedy
13:50 , Sports StaffEngland captain Maro Itoje hopes that focusing his attention on England’s Guinness Six Nations campaign will help him through the grieving process following the death of his mother.
Itoje returns to the starting XV for Saturday’s Calcutta Cup clash with Scotland at Murrayfield having featured on the bench for the round one victory over Wales.
The British and Irish Lions skipper was limited to a supporting role at Allianz Stadium after missing some of England’s pre-tournament training camp in order to attend the funeral of his mum Florence in Nigeria.
Maro Itoje says England action is helping him deal with personal tragedy
Ben Earl reveals England are taking inspiration from last year’s Calcutta Cup
13:40 , Harry Latham-CoyleBen Earl has revealed England have been referencing the end of their Calcutta Cup slump last year to help overturn another unwanted statistic against Scotland.
Steve Borthwick’s team are seeking their first victory at Murrayfield since 2020 when they run out for Saturday’s Guinness Six Nations clash between the international game’s oldest rivals.
Scotland have dominated the fixture over the last eight years, winning five times and drawing once, and it was only in 2025 that England were able to wrestle back control of the Calcutta Cup having seen it return to Edinburgh in 2021.
A grim 16-15 triumph at Allianz Stadium was the second step on their current 12-Test winning run and Earl insists it was a crucial turning point.
Ben Earl reveals England are taking inspiration from last year’s Calcutta Cup
Gregor Townsend wields axe as Scotland ring changes for Calcutta Cup clash with England
13:30 , Harry Latham-CoyleScotland, meanwhile, have freshened up their pack.
Townsend wields axe as Scotland ring changes for Calcutta Cup clash with England
England name settled side for Scotland clash in Six Nations
13:20 , Harry Latham-CoyleThere is a settled look to the England side today:
Maro Itoje urges England to be ‘aggressors’ in Calcutta Cup clash with Scotland
13:10 , Harry Latham-CoyleMaro Itoje has challenged England to be the “aggressors” in their Calcutta Cup clash with Scotland as they seek to further their Six Nations title hopes.
England arrive at Murrayfield on a run of 12 consecutive victories but needing to correct a troublesome recent record in this fixture, with Scotland winning three of their last four meetings in Edinburgh.
Itoje lifted the Calcutta Cup for the first time after a narrow victory at Twickenham last year, but knows that the challenge will be greater here.
“I want us to be aggressive, accurate, and play with confidence,” Itoje said. “It is going to be a very physical game. Every time we play them and every time we play them up here it’s always a physical game.
Maro Itoje urges England to be ‘aggressors’ in Calcutta Cup clash with Scotland
How England can break Murrayfield hoodoo to win the Calcutta Cup
13:00 , Harry Latham-CoyleMurrayfield has been a place of bad memories for England of late - but they are confident they can banish their Edinburgh ghosts.
How England can break their Murrayfield hoodoo to win the Calcutta Cup
Scotland vs England live
Wednesday 11 February 2026 14:00 , Harry Latham-CoyleAuld rivalries will be renewed as Scotland and England clash for the Calcutta Cup at Murrayfield. A famous fixture has swung in the hosts favour in Edinburgh in recent years, but Steve Borthwick’s side travel north full of confidence after 12 straight wins and looking to pile more pressure on home boss Gregor Townsend.
Kick off is at 4.40pm GMT.
