England were brushed aside by Scotland as their Six Nations title hopes were dealt a major blow in round two. It was another Murrayfield meltdown from Steve Borthwick’s side, who saw a 12-match Test winning run snapped emphatically as they went down 31-20 in front of a raucous crowd in Edinburgh and relinquished the Calcutta Cup. It was their first defeat in a year, since they lost to Ireland on the opening weekend of last year’s competition in Dublin.
Defending champions France are now the only team left who can still win a Grand Slam in 2026, with shellshocked England 17-0 behind inside just 15 minutes on Saturday thanks to Finn Russell’s penalty and early converted tries from Huw Jones and Jamie Ritchie, plus a yellow card for Henry Arundell, who hit back before receiving a second caution and 20-minute red card for taking out Kyle Steyn in the air.
Ben White added further to England’s misery after an error from Ellis Genge, with Jones adding a decisive bonus-point try after George Ford’s drop-goal attempt was charged down by Matt Fagerson in the second half. Ben Earl scored a late consolation, but there was to be not even a losing bonus point for the visitors. Follow Scotland vs England reaction live below!
Scotland vs England highlights
- TRY! Jones again after Ford drop goal charged down
- RED CARD! Arundell sent off after second yellow
- TRY! White profits from Genge error after Ford penalty
- TRY! Arundell answers back for England after return
- TRY! Ritchie adds quick-fire second with Arundell in sin bin
- TRY! Jones scores after early Russell penalty
Townsend issues Scotland injury update
21:34 , George FloodIt’s not all good news for Scotland though.
Gregor Townsend has confirmed post-match that the injuries sustained by Jack Dempsey, Jamie Dobie and Jamie Ritchie against England all look potentially “serious”.
Not what they wanted to hear ahead of a trip to Cardiff in round three.
Bad news for Glasgow too.
Gregor Townsend reaction
21:32 , George Flood"I'm so proud," said the Scotland head coach.
"During that first 20-30 minutes, I had to snap myself out of what I was thinking, because it was just tremendous, and being a supporter, seeing the rugby that the players were playing, I had to realise I was a coach again, and I snapped out of it quite quickly.
"Obviously the second half, we were getting penalised at times, but we kept together, and how we defended our line, and then how we regained control, that makes me equally as proud as how we started the game.
"We've had a good time together in the changing room, so these are the emotions that make you realise that coaching, and still being involved in the game is hugely rewarding, gives you massive purpose in your life and why you do it.
"But it's the players that drive our performance, the players that drove it during the week, and they drove it today in the game."
Borthwick rues Arundell dismissal after disastrous England start
21:30 , George FloodSteve Borthwick lamented England’s disastrous start against Scotland as they suffered more Murrayfield misery in the Six Nations.
The visitors found themselves 17-0 down after only a quarter of an hour in Saturday’s chaotic contest in Edinburgh, with Finn Russell’s early penalty followed by quick-fire tries from Huw Jones and Jamie Ritchie.
England saw Henry Arundell sin-binned for not releasing after a tackle during a tumultuous opening period, with the Bath winger receiving a second yellow card and 20-minute red for taking out Kyle Steyn in the air before the break, having got England off the mark with his fourth try in two matches after returning from a first caution.
"Huge credit to Scotland, I thought they played really well," Borthwick said after seeing his side’s year-long 12-match winning run ended with a third consecutive loss at Murrayfield.
England need fast answers to tough questions after more Murrayfield misery
21:29 , George FloodYou will struggle to see such a dominant scrum produce so few points in return, but England’s catalogue of calamities at Murrayfield made their efforts in that area irrelevant, writes Ben Coles in Edinburgh.
Take your pick for the moment to sum up England’s day. Maybe it was Ellis Genge desperately trying to corral a bouncing ball, only to watch it escape his grasp for Ben White to score.
Or George Ford going for a drop goal with England’s attack grinding to a halt, only to be charged down before Scotland broke up field to score Huw Jones’ second try. A seven-point swing which with England creeping back into the contest slammed the door shut.
England had 12 entries into Scotland’s 22 and came away with far too little to show for that effort, knocking on repeatedly in sight of the posts and being held up over the line.
Scotland regain Calcutta Cup as England brushed aside
19:54 , George FloodEngland's 12-game winning streak came shuddering to a halt as they crashed to their heaviest Calcutta Cup defeat in eight years at the hands of fired-up Scotland.
The Scots' four-try 31-20 triumph at Murrayfield - in which England wing Henry Arundell was shown two yellow cards in the first half - was their biggest in the fixture since 2018.
It was particularly timely for embattled head coach Gregor Townsend, who had come under intense pressure after a grim 18-15 defeat by Italy in his team's Guinness Six Nations opener last weekend.
While the victory breathed new life into Scotland's championship and allowed them to lift the Calcutta Cup for the seventh time in nine years, it served as a major blow to England's hopes of capping their resurgence over the past year with a first title since 2020.
Read the full match report here
Ben Coles' England player ratings
19:53 , George FloodReplacements
Jamie George (Cowan-Dickie 56’) 5
Busy defensively off the bench with six tackles.
Bevan Rodd (Genge 56’) 4
Pinged for collapsing at the scrum, ending England’s run of penalties at the set-piece up until that point.
Trevor Davison (Heyes 68’) 5
Little time to have too much of an impact given where the game was when he arrived.
Alex Coles (Itoje 56’) 4
Arguably unlucky to lose his starting role after last week. Gave up a sloppy offside penalty.
Tom Curry (Underhill 40’) 4
On at half-time with England in a hole but his limited influence for the second week in a row was not what we’re used to seeing.
Henry Pollock (Pepper 56’) 6
His power is underrated, with one nice run over the top of a defender. Burst down the wing led to Earl’s try.
Ben Spencer (Mitchell 69’) 4
Brilliant as a game-manager, so coming on with England trailing by 18 was a tough ask. Held up over the line.
Fin Smith (Arundell 55’) 5
Replaced Arundell after his 20-minute red card. Missed out in one aerial battle with Kyle Steyn but one stunning pass to Pollock.
Ben Coles' England player ratings
19:52 , George FloodForwards
Ellis Genge 5
Scrummaging really good against Zander Fagerson. Put in a horrible situation trying to chase down a bouncing chip which ended disastrously with a Scottish try. Knocked on short of the line. Mixed.
Luke Cowan-Dickie 4
Missile tackle was a soft penalty England couldn’t afford to give away. Lineout throws can be mixed. England needed more from his carrying too.
Joe Heyes 5
Struck with an early scrum penalty which led to a try by Arundell, and his development has been a real bright spot in the past 18 months.
Maro Itoje 4
Can’t be blamed for missing Jones for the opening try. Will be frustrated however at Scotland stopping one five-metre maul and is usually more disruptive at lineout and breakdown.
Ollie Chessum 5
Pinged early at the breakdown but we saw the athlete in him again with an interception. Backed up his very good outing against Wales.
Guy Pepper 4
Keeps developing nicely, slowing down Scottish ball when possible, and was also one of England’s better defenders before he was replaced, which hasn’t happened often recently.
Sam Underhill 4
Sharp work to save one messy attacking lineout, but was brought off at half-time without making as much of an impact defensively as we’re used to seeing.
Ben Earl 7
A busy target at the restarts and really industrial as ever with his ball-carrying, leading the way for England with 23 runs. Deserved his try. Certainly emerged with the most credit.
Ben Coles' England player ratings
19:50 , George FloodBacks
Freddie Steward 5
Basketball pass is fast becoming his trademark, with two here after another last week. Snuffed out a Jones chip nicely. One of their better players.
Tom Roebuck 4
Blitz out the line was necessary but left Jones with too much room for the opening try. Not as effective in the air as England needed him to be either.
Tommy Freeman 3
Positioning seemed a little off in the break before Scotland’s second try. England needed more from him getting over the gain line but that didn’t happen. Persist at 13 or back to the wing?
Fraser Dingwall 3
Dovetailed well with Ford in attack against Wales but that was missing here, while White and Russell picked on England’s midfield defence. Contrast with Sione Tuipulotu’s power was notable too.
Henry Arundell 2
Good tackle to stop a try but then failed to release, seeing yellow. Scored but then made a hash of a kick-chase and had to go. England were down to 14 for half an hour as a result.
George Ford 5
Great delay created the space for Arundell’s try. England relied heavily on his kicking game but also threatened attacking the line, but charged-down drop goal a disaster and summed up England’s execution.
Alex Mitchell 4
Had to hurry an early kick into touch. More snipes here than against Wales although knocked on short of the posts, and England failed to win back enough of his box-kicks.
Scotland 31-20 England
18:35 , George FloodEngland's 12-match winning run is over as they lose for the first time since the opening weekend of last year's Six Nations in Dublin.
Grand Slam hopes up in smoke and the Calcutta Cup relinquished once more. A sobering afternoon indeed for Steve Borthwick and Co.
A huge result for Scotland and Gregor Townsend after their defeat in Rome.
But why can’t they do this against teams not named England?
Only France can now win the Grand Slam. They take on Wales in Cardiff tomorrow to finish round two.
Scotland 31-20 England
18:30 , George FloodFull-time
TRY! Scotland 31-20 England | Ben Earl 78'
18:28 , George Flood78 mins: The tireless Earl does now have his consolation score after being left in acres of space down the England left.
Was that pass forward? It’s not looked at.
Ford converts.
Can England push for a last-gasp bonus point here?
Kyle Steyn gets player of the match.
Scotland 31-13 England
18:26 , George Flood76 mins: Earl can’t even get a late consolation try for England as he’s held up over the line following a scrum.
The home crowd certainly enjoyed that.
Scotland 31-13 England
18:25 , George Flood74 mins: England’s day is summed up by Steward being released by a smart kick and then tackled brilliantly into touch by the diminutive Graham.
Adam Hastings is on for Scotland.
Scotland 31-13 England
18:23 , George Flood73 mins: England are whistled for offside and Graham kicks and goes, though Pollock does well to earn a penalty.
Scotland 31-13 England
18:22 , George Flood72 mins: Sloppy from Steward and Scotland are gifted possession straight back.
England have been outfought, outworked and outsmarted this afternoon.
Scotland 31-13 England
18:21 , George Flood70 mins: Darcy Graham has come on for Scotland.
Dobie off.
Scotland 31-13 England
18:19 , George Flood69 mins: Millar Mills has shored up the Scotland scrum on the tighthead side and they have a penalty as they look for try number five late on here.
Scotland 31-13 England
18:17 , George Flood67 mins: The maul makes hard yards before Scotland open it up and drive towards the line near the posts.
But Cummings is off his feet and the penalty goes England’s way!
Trevor Davison replaces Heyes in the England front row.
A knock-on from Pollock and now a scrum-half change from Borthwick, with Ben Spencer on for Mitchell.
Scotland 31-13 England
18:15 , George Flood65 mins: England simply cannot live with Scotland’s sheer ferocity at the breakdown as the hosts knock on the door once more deep inside the 22.
Heyes is penalised for a breakdown infringement and Russell kicks to the corner.
Here comes the rolling maul...
Scotland 31-13 England
18:12 , George Flood62 mins: Scotland keep notching up the turnovers and their kick-and-chase game continues to cause England’s defence all sorts of problems as we enter the final quarter of this contest at Murrayfield.
Another sublime take from Steyn leads to a lineout on the near side after Earl is hammered into touch.
Scotland 31-13 England
18:09 , George Flood59 mins: Scotland’s latest momentum is halted by a knock-on and England promptly win another scrum penalty, with the referee warning that the next one from any player will result in a yellow card.
England look to be in after another darting run from Mitchell, but he’s wrapped up as he tries to offload to Earl and knocks on just in front of the try line.
Scotland 31-13 England
18:05 , George Flood57 mins: Horne and Williamson are on for Scotland too.
White and Dempsey off.
England are sending on Fin Smith after their 20-minute red card expires.
Presumably he will go to 12, with Dingwall to 13 and Freeman out to the wing.
Scotland 31-13 England
18:04 , George Flood57 mins: Finally Pollock, George, Coles and Rodd all come on for England after quite a wait.
Itoje is among those going off, along with Pepper, Cowan-Dickie and Genge.
George is now captain.
Scotland 31-13 England
18:02 , George Flood55 mins: Heroic defending from Scotland inside their own 22 as England look to hit straight back.
Darge earns a pressure-relieving penalty at the breakdown.
Players and fans alike roar in triumph.
TRY! Scotland 31-13 England | Huw Jones 53'
17:59 , George Flood53 mins: England burrow forward with purpose with a penalty advantage, which is up just before Dobie comes in off his wing to drive back Dingwall.
Ford goes for the drop goal but it’s charged down by Matt Fagerson and Jones speeds away to score Scotland’s bonus-point try!
My word, what a moment. Superb work from Fagerson and serious speed from Jones.
Russell sends over an easy conversion.
Is that the game?
Scotland 24-13 England
17:56 , George Flood49 mins: England look to pile on the pressure from the scrum five metres out.
But Scotland hold steady this time and safely exit.
Another knock-on on the floor leads to another scrum.
Jamie George, Henry Pollock and Alex Coles are all coming on for England soon.
Dave Cherry replaces George Turner at hooker for Scotland.
Northampton prop Elliot Millar Mills is also on for the struggling Zander Fagerson, who will have nightmares about Genge.
Scotland 24-13 England
17:51 , George Flood48 mins: Disciplined attacking fare from England as they drive deep into the Scotland 22, a wonderful break from Mitchell and a strong Genge carry.
But once again they’ve lost it on the deck and a knock-on hands the put-in to Scotland at the scrum.
Pierre Schoeman is on at loosehead for Scotland, replacing Nathan McBeth.
Scotland 24-13 England
17:50 , George Flood46 mins: Some frustration creeping in for Scotland now as Tuipulotu is penalised for not rolling away after Freeman is dumped to the turf by the Scotland captain.
Henry Pollock is preparing to come on for England as Ford kicks to touch once more to set up the rolling maul.
PENALTY! Scotland 24-13 England | George Ford 45'
17:47 , George Flood45 mins: England’s dominance at the scrum continues with another penalty won.
Genge is skewering Zander Fagerson, with captain Tuipulotu told that another infringement from the Scotland tighthead will result in a yellow card.
Ford takes his time and slots over a straightforward penalty to bring the 14 men back within 11 points.
Scotland 24-10 England
17:44 , George Flood42 mins: Cowan-Dickie earns an early second-half penalty for England which Ford drills into touch.
But England are then whistled for sealing off at a messy breakdown after Itoje is tackled.
A let-off for Scotland’s defence.
Scotland 24-10 England
17:42 , George FloodConfirmation from the bunker that it stays a second yellow card and 20-minute red for Arundell.
So crucially England will be back up to 15 men after just under a quarter of an hour of this second half.
Changes in both back rows at half-time, meanwhile.
Tom Curry is on for Sam Underhill for England, with Scotland sending on Matt Fagerson for Jamie Ritchie, who looked to pick up an injury late in that first half.
Back underway...
Scotland 24-10 England
17:35 , George FloodHere is the incident that led to Arundell’s second yellow card.
He can have no complaints, though was the first caution a tad harsh?
Henry Arundell is given a red card after his second yellow card offence 🟥
— ITV Rugby (@ITVRugby) February 14, 2026
England down to 14 for 20 minutes... pic.twitter.com/DwERWaTeTL
Scotland 24-10 England
17:32 , George FloodA nightmare first half for England, who ship three tries and see Henry Arundell sent off.
Exactly the sort of response Gregor Townsend was looking for after Scotland's shock loss in Rome last weekend.
England have a mountain to climb at Murrayfield if they are to retain the Calcutta Cup and keep their Six Nations Grand Slam dream alive.
Scotland 24-10 England
17:26 , George FloodHalf-time
And breathe!
An extraordinary first half at Murrayfield.
Scotland 24-10 England
17:22 , George Flood38 mins: From bad to worse for England as Arundell clatters into Steyn as the Scotland winger rises high to claim the ball.
It’s ruled as dangerous after a TMO check and England’s hat-trick hero from round one earns a second yellow card and 20-minute red.
He’s done for the day. England can bring on another player after that 20 minutes is up.
Scotland 24-10 England
17:20 , George Flood36 mins: They negotiate an exit and find touch on the far side in England’s half, lovely kick from Steyn.
Scotland will be pleased with how their lineout is functioning so far today after their issues in the Rome rain.
England keep possession but it’s all very flat.
Scotland 24-10 England
17:16 , George Flood32 mins: Supreme maul defence from Scotland, with Cummings at the centre of it.
Scotland now with the put-in at another scrum, five metres out from their own try line.
Scotland 24-10 England
17:15 , George Flood29 mins: You can’t take your eyes off this match for a second!
England are going well at scrum time despite their other weaknesses and Genge applies more pressure to earn another penalty.
Ford kicks for touch rather than opting for an easy three points.
TRY! Scotland 24-10 England | Ben White 27'
17:11 , George Flood27 mins: Scotland strike again!
It’s absolutely magic from Russell to somehow shimmy into space and his boot over the top can’t be gathered by a sliding Genge, who knocks it back woefully and White is there to touch down.
Another tough conversion attempt from Russell sneaks over.
PENALTY! Scotland 17-10 England | George Ford 26'
17:09 , George Flood26 mins: England have some emerging swagger about them now as the influential and towering Chessum comes up with a huge interception from White’s pass.
Scotland concede another cheap penalty and it’s pinged over by Ford.
TRY! Scotland 17-7 England | Henry Arundell 21'
17:05 , George Flood21 mins: England answer back!
Brute force has them within metres of the Scottish try line, Freeman among those to carry well.
Ford then sells a lovely dummy to open the door for Arundell, who atones for his costly yellow card to touch down his fourth try in two games.
Ford nails the conversion to bring England back within 10 points.
Scotland 17-0 England
17:03 , George Flood18 mins: Finally some joy for shellshocked England as Scotland’s set-piece begins to creak again, leaking penalties.
Ritchie gave away the first before Scotland got one back, but now England are camped deep inside their 22 after powerful work from Genge at the scrum.
Arundell is back from the sin bin.
TRY! Scotland 17-0 England | Jamie Ritchie 14'
16:58 , George Flood14 mins: 14-man England are being absolutely blown away at Murrayfield inside a disastrous first quarter of an hour.
They quickly ship another penalty after Jones’ try and suddenly Scotland are all over them again, Steyn bursting through tackles brilliantly.
Scotland open it up left and Tuipulotu whips out a long pass to flanker Ritchie, who is all alone to stroll in and touch down.
Dreadful from England defensively and Russell adds the extras once more.
TRY! Scotland 10-0 England | Huw Jones 10'
16:53 , George Flood10 mins: Scotland deservedly score their first try!
Jones turns on the wheels after a dream of a pass from Russell and Itoje can’t catch him.
Russell’s conversion sneaks inside the far post.
What a start for the hosts. England yet to get any sort of foothold.
Scotland 3-0 England
16:51 , George Flood8 mins: Scotland are all over England like a rash here, kicking wonderfully and attacking with menace with ball in hand.
Jones leads a superb break down the right and Arundell is whistled for not releasing his man after the tackle.
He is shown yellow. England under the cosh and down to 14 men before the 10-minute mark at Murrayfield...
Scotland 3-0 England
16:50 , George Flood6 mins: A couple of tedious restarts on the first scrum of the afternoon.
Genge is now pinged for an early shove and Scotland boom forward.
The set-piece was a nightmare in Rome, but has started well here.
PENALTY! Scotland 3-0 England | Finn Russell 4'
16:47 , George Flood4 mins: Some ferocious carrying from Scotland deep inside the English 22, attacking with a penalty advantage behind them.
We eventually come back for it after a knock-on, with Scotland going for the posts instead of the corner.
The easiest of kicks sails straight through from Russell and the hosts are on the board early on here.
Scotland 0-0 England
16:44 , George Flood2 mins: A frantic start amid the Murrayfield haze as England bulldoze forward with a powerful rolling maul before Scotland regather possession and Mitchell has to scramble into touch from his own 22 under pressure.
Scotland vs England
16:41 , George FloodSpine-tingling stuff as always for Flower of Scotland.
Ready to go at Murrayfield in the Calcutta Cup.
Georgia’s Nika Amashukeli is the referee this afternoon.
‘God Save the King’ will be up first, after long-time Scottish rugby patron Princess Anne is introduced to both sets of players by respective captains Sione Tuipulotu and Maro Itoje.
Teams are out
16:31 , George FloodHere come the teams at Murrayfield amid a deafening atmosphere and bursts of flame, with the players walking out of the tunnel past the Calcutta Cup.
National anthems coming up.
Flower of Scotland at Murrayfield is always a brilliant experience.
Kick-off approaching
16:24 , George FloodDone and dusted in Dublin, it’s all eyes on Murrayfield, where the weather is much calmer than it has been in recent Calcutta Cup clashes.
Warm-ups almost complete. Kick-off is less than 20 minutes away!
Ireland hang on to beat Italy after second-half comeback
16:11 , George FloodIt’s all over in Dublin, where Ireland have clung on through a late onslaught and dramatic finish to beat Italy 20-13.
The Azzurri led 10-5 at the break after Giacomo Nicotera’s try and a Paolo Garbisi penalty that followed Jamie Osborne’s initial score.
However, Ireland fought back as Jack Conan and Robert Baloucoune - making his first Test appearance since 2022 - both crossed after the break, with Jack Crowley and Garbisi also exchanging penalties.
Italy piled on the pressure in the final minutes, but could not get over the line in a heartbreaking loss.
England eye hat-trick of bragging rights against Scotland
15:59 , George FloodEngland have already secured one crucial win over Scotland today, after Tom Banton enjoyed a starring role in a five-wicket victory at the T20 World Cup.
That triumph in Kolkata got England back on track for a place in the Super Eights and all-but ended Scotland’s hopes of progressing from Group C.
England also beat Scotland 33-17 at the Hive Stadium in Edinburgh to make it two wins from two in the Under-20s Six Nations last night.
Can they make it a hat-trick of bragging rights at Murrayfield?
Townsend not being distracted by Scotland job speculation
15:46 , George FloodGregor Townsend himself, meanwhile, insisted he was not being distracted by the ongoing speculation over his position with Scotland, whom he has led since 2017.
"To be honest, it's only really on days like this where you have to experience it because it's such a busy job," he said earlier this week.
"You fill every minute of the day with reviewing what we could have done better, going into selection, going into training.
“It's part of the job, part of losing.
"The feeling of losing is worse than the distraction around when people are giving their opinions to the group or to me as a coach.
"If we take Tonga out (a 56-0 win), the last two results against Italy and Argentina have been disappointing.
“That opens up opportunities for criticising the team, criticising the coach, I get that.
"It's not good enough from our perspective, but we didn't win those games and we're hugely disappointed and that's what we're working to rectify."
Borthwick: Scotland should support 'phenomenal' Townsend
15:33 , George FloodGregor Townsend has received support from his opposite number this week after Scotland’s surprise loss in Rome.
Townsend was already in the spotlight ahead of his ninth Six Nations as head coach amid those aforementioned links to Newcastle and there has been speculation that the SRU could be looking to make a change if Scotland finish outside the top three.
"I was told recently that he has the best win record of any Scotland coach in the professional era,” Steve Borthwick said.
“Sir Ian McGeechan had two spells and Gregor sits above that.
"The way he has coached the attack they have and the way they move the ball, when they do that they look terrific.
"I have immense respect for him as a coach and I find it surprising that people are not spending more time talking about Scotland rather than not supporting their coach.
"He's a phenomenal coach and they should spend more time supporting him.”
England aiming to end Murrayfield hoodoo
15:23 , George FloodScotland’s hopes for a swift bounce-back this weekend come as a result of their recent track record of success in Calcutta Cup matches on home soil.
England have been defeated in successive outings at Murrayfield in the Six Nations, having not won in Edinburgh since 2020 - when they triumphed narrowly in atrocious weather conditions.
England had lost four in a row against Scotland, who celebrated back-to-back wins at Twickenham for the first time ever, before regaining the Calcutta Cup 16-15 12 months ago thanks to Finn Russell’s last-gasp missed conversion from a Duhan van der Merwe try.
Italy lead Ireland at half-time in Dublin
15:14 , George FloodIt’s currently half-time in Dublin, where Italy have followed up their home win over Scotland by leading Ireland 10-5 in a feisty contest to open round two.
Jamie Osborne scored for Ireland with Louis Lynagh in the sin bin, before the Azzurri responded through Paolo Garbisi’s penalty and a try from the maul by hooker Giacomo Nicotera, which followed a yellow card for Craig Casey.
Having bullied Scotland physically in Rome, Italy are now doing the same to Andy Farrell’s much-changed side, who need a quick response if they are to avoid a hugely damaging second straight loss to follow their opening night hammering by defending champions France in Paris.
Scotland vs England prediction
15:03 , George FloodCautious England fans believe Scotland losing to Italy may be the worst thing that could have happened from their perspective ahead of this latest crunch Calcutta Cup meeting.
As if the hosts weren’t quite driven enough for another chance to defeat the auld enemy on home soil, now they will have more motivation than ever as they seek to quickly erase memories of the Rome debacle and ease some of the mounting pressure on Gregor Townsend.
But this is an England side in a rich vein of form who are soaring with confidence, and for whom a trip to Murrayfield will hold no fear whatsoever despite their poor recent record at the home of Scottish rugby.
England, who continue to showcase their enviable strength in depth, are extremely well-drilled and doing the fundamentals very well now under Steve Borthwick, adding that bit of attacking flair and panache when needed through their glut of pacey wingers and Tommy Freeman, and controlling games impressively through master tactician George Ford.
This will undoubtedly be a huge, physical and likely close challenge as always, but one we expect them to edge narrowly for the second year in a row.
England to win, by five points.
Scotland vs England lineups
15:01 , George FloodScotland XV: 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 XV: 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
Fit-again Fin Smith replaces Marcus Smith on England bench
14:59 , George FloodThe only other change to England’s matchday squad at Murrayfield is among the replacements, where Fin Smith has recovered from a persistent calf injury to join Ben Spencer as the only back cover in a familiar 6-2 bench split by Steve Borthwick.
He takes the place of versatile namesake Marcus Smith, who drops out of the 23 altogether.
Borthwick resists the urge to bring the fit-again Ollie Lawrence straight back in as Northampton pair Fraser Dingwall and Tommy Freeman continue at centre.
Tom Roebuck continues to deputise out wide for Immanuel Feyi-Waboso, who was a late scratch from the Wales game with a hamstring injury and is now set to miss the entire Six Nations for the second year in a row.
Itoje returns as England tweak forward pack
14:52 , George FloodEngland’s two changes from the 48-7 demolition of Wales at Twickenham in round one are also both in the pack.
As expected, captain Maro Itoje comes back in at lock having not started a Six Nations game for the first time in almost seven years on opening weekend, having missed part of the pre-tournament training camp in Girona as he attended the funeral of his late mother Florence in Nigeria.
Alex Coles drops to the bench as Itoje partners Ollie Chessum in the second row.
The other alteration is at hooker, where Steve Borthwick switches Jamie George - who temporarily took back the captaincy until Itoje entered the field against Wales - and Luke Cowan-Dickie.
No Kinghorn or Van der Merwe for Scotland again
14:45 , George FloodScotland’s backline is unchanged from Rome, having not got the chance to play much rugby at all during torrential rain at the Stadio Olimpico.
Gregor Townsend keeps faith in a new-look back-three trio of Tom Jordan, Kyle Steyn and Jamie Dobie, with the usual centre pairing of captain Sione Tuipulotu and Huw Jones, and Finn Russell at fly-half - no doubt eager to atone for his last-gasp missed conversion at Twickenham 12 months ago.
It means Darcy Graham remains on the bench as part of a 5-3 split alongside George Horne and Adam Hastings, with Blair Kinghorn and record try scorer Duhan van der Merwe - who has been the scourge of England in the Calcutta Cup in recent years - both omitted completely once again.
Horne had also been pushing former England youth international Ben White hard for the starting scrum-half role after his eye-catching try-scoring cameo off the bench in Italy.
There is not a single Edinburgh player in Scotland’s starting XV today...
Scotland make four changes from Italy loss
14:36 , George FloodThe under-fire Gregor Townsend, who rejected reports that he has already agreed to take over at Newcastle after the 2027 World Cup, has made four changes to his starting XV from that rain-soaked 18-15 upset in Rome - all of them in the forward pack.
Nathan McBeth makes his first Six Nations start at loosehead prop in place of Pierre Schoeman, while Ewan Ashman makes way for George Turner at hooker.
Gregor Brown is in over Grant Gilchrist to partner Scott Cummings at lock, while Jamie Ritchie replaces Matt Fagerson in the back row and lines up at blindside flanker.
Dave Cherry comes onto the bench.
How to watch Scotland vs England
14:29 , George FloodTV channel: In the UK, Scotland vs England is being shown live and free to air on ITV1 and STV, with coverage beginning at 4:10pm GMT, following the conclusion of Ireland vs Italy in Dublin.
Live stream: Fans can also watch the game live online via the ITVX website and app, which is free with a registration.
Scotland vs England live
14:23 , George FloodGood afternoon and welcome to Standard Sport’s latest live coverage of the 2026 Six Nations.
Ireland are currently facing Italy in Dublin, but our focus here is on events at Murrayfield, where England are seeking to win for the first time since 2020 in their bid to retain the Calcutta Cup.
They face a Scotland team who will be highly-motivated to bounce back from a shock opening loss in Rome to ease some of the mounting pressure on head coach Gregor Townsend.
Kick-off in Edinburgh is at 4:40pm GMT, so stay tuned for match build-up, team news and live updates across the afternoon.
