Some of life’s certainties are impossible to sidestep. And to the trinity of death, taxes and rail delays can now be added a fourth familiar staple. When Scotland play England at Murrayfield it is now all but guaranteed the hosts will raise their game to Ben Nevis‑type heights and the visitors will be taken down a peg or three.
Thus it was again at the weekend as Scotland reignited the bonfire of English vanities and once more sent the auld enemy homewards tae think again. A chastened England were exposed repeatedly in thought and deed by opponents unrecognisable from the sodden losers in Rome the previous week and, as a result, the visitors were brutally consigned to a fifth Calcutta Cup defeat in the past six editions.
Amid all the Sassenach muttering on southbound trains, planes and automobiles on Sunday, the main takeaway is that Scotland were outstanding. How good was Finn Russell? How smartly did the hosts exploit the extra space available in the 30 minutes when England were down to 14 men? And how much sharper and more urgent did Scotland collectively look for the vast majority of the game?
There is a valid argument, floated afterwards by Gregor Townsend, that Scotland’s first-half display was as good as anything they have managed in his tenure. And this time, crucially, they continued to show the courage of their convictions rather than allowing a 24‑10 interval lead to slip. It really was a rhapsody in dark blue for Scottish fans old and new.
For England this was less a wake-up call than a hefty thump over the head with lead piping. It could easily be, as happened two years ago, that they rebound from Murrayfield disappointment to beat Ireland at home but, either way, this was not an English performance that should be brushed casually under the shagpile. Because, according to siren voices within the England camp, it was supposed to be a different story this time.
Twelve wins on the spin had generated confidence and momentum, everyone was on the same tactical page and the younger players, nine of whom had never played at Murrayfield, were carrying no historical baggage. Maybe a first grand slam for a decade might even be around the corner.
Quick Guide
Six Nations standings
Show
1 France P2 W2 L0 Pts 10
2 Scotland P2 W1 L1 Pts 6
3 England P2 W1 L1 Pts 5
4 Italy P2 W1 L1 Pts 5
5 Ireland P2 W1 L1 Pts 4
6 Wales P2 W0 L2 Pts 0
Ultimately, it was all wishful thinking. To dismiss this as a blip or merely one of those days ignores several issues that need readdressing if England do aspire to greatness at the World Cup next year. Scotland may even have done Steve Borthwick and his coaches a favour by puncturing any developing sense of complacency behind the shiny white facade.
Among them is whether England are flat-track bullies who remain vulnerable away from home against the world’s best teams. Having a determinedly kick-heavy gameplan is all very well but loose balls can bounce both ways. And when things started to unravel on Saturday, how many of England’s senior players were able to take the game by the scruff of the neck and physically drag their side back into it?
The contrast in effectiveness between Scotland’s midfield trio of Russell, Sione Tuipulotu and Huw Jones and their English counterparts was striking. The experiment of playing Tommy Freeman at centre is fine on paper but has yet to pay dividends. Opponents also know that George Ford and Fraser Dingwall are not going to thunder past or through them and that Freddie Steward is unlikely to inject much lightning pace either.
Add in the relative lack of ball-carrying punch up front if Ellis Genge and Luke Cowan-Dickie are not in raging-bull mode and a side such as Scotland, so smart at switching the point of attack and striking from anywhere, have the ability to cause real problems. So it proved again, with Jones taking his remarkable try tally against England to eight in eight games and Russell underlining his place among the world’s most visionary fly-halves.
The 33-year-old’s tip-on for Jones’s first try was a thing of creative beauty, as was his weaving break and chip which led to a fumble by Genge and a try for the similarly alert Ben White. England will claim there was effectively a 10-point swing when Ford’s ill‑conceived drop goal attempt was charged down by Matt Fagerson and Jones raced away for the clinching score, but they are kidding themselves if they think the better team lost. It certainly leaves much for Borthwick and co to address, with only one tournament rest week, permitting less time for leisurely reflection this year.
Not only did the six-two bench split with limited back-three cover backfire but the autumn impact of their “Pom Squad” has yet to be replicated this month. With the red-carded Henry Arundell unlikely to feature against Ireland, does Freeman stay at centre or shift back out to the wing with someone such as Ollie Lawrence coming in? Even if England defeat an out‑of‑form Ireland at home, what price now their chances of conquering Paris in round five?
The challenge for Scotland is to replicate this level of execution and energy every week. If they beat Wales in Cardiff and somehow upset France in Edinburgh next month, all could then hinge on a final-day showdown against Ireland in Dublin. Which really would underline how swiftly things can change across a Six Nations campaign.
England are still in the race but their carefully planned road to the World Cup has hit a significant pothole.