England 6 (6) – (8) 11 Scotland
Six Nations 2021, Rnd 1
06/02/21
Before the game Scotland supporters didn’t want to hear the date Scotland last beat England in England, now they will.
38 years since Scotland came up from South of the border with a win. First time in the Six Nations the Blues have won at Twickenham – one draw nine defeats.
The only try of the game was scored by Duhan Van der Merwe.
The result gives Scotland great hope of finishing higher than third in the Six Nations for the first time in over a decade.
For England, the defending champions Grand Slam ambitions are over before they even begun.
First half – Scotland out the blocks
A refreshed Scotland led by the talismanic Finn Russell looked far more prepared for the beginning of the marathon that is the Six Nations.
Scotland had a spring in their step with five replacements from the stale Autumn Nations Cup which included Finn Russell for Jaco Van der Walt and a debut to former England apprentice Cameron Redpath for Duncan Taylor.
Dates that have past deep into the annuals of time were constantly mentioned in order to ramp up the pressure on the powder keg that is the Calcutta Cup – decades since Scotland had won in England, centuries since the sides first met.
If this was meant to be mind games to effect Scotland, it backfired.
England were the ones who seemed to be struggling with the pressure, conceding nine penalties in the opening quarter of the game – England usually concede nine penalties a match.
These mistakes ultimately resulted in Russell putting Scotland 3 up with a kick under the posts and Billy Vunipola sent to the sin bin.
The one man that looked calm as everyone around him lost their heads was Russell.
The mercurial fly-half was flinging the ball about serenely, bringing his electric kicking game to the party early on.
Scotland got into England’s 22 within four minutes. It took England twenty minutes to get into Scotland’s red zone.
Scotland looked far sharper than England. The Dark Blues could have had two tries within half an hour. They had a try held up on 25’ then Finn Russell – in complete control of the game – sent a cross field kick into England’s try area and, in an extraordinary set of events, the ball bounced over 6ft 4’ Van der Merwe who was waiting to finish.
The way they were playing, Scotland scoring a try was inevitable and it came on the half hour mark through brilliant work by Sean Maitland and Matt Fagerson. Russell kicked high to the touchline, Maitland won it in the air and tapped back to Fagerson. That gave Scotland the platform to work the ball to the opposite side for Van der Merwe who scored in the corner.
England’s first points came through a penalty with under ten minutes of the half to play. For once a wise decision by Farrell, getting points on the board to settle England’s nerves.
For the remainder of the half the game was played to script. England dominated and got another penalty on the board through Farrell, but before the England Captain could take the kick referee Andrew Brace was called by the TMO who spotted Russell attempting to deliberately trip Ben Youngs.
Frustratingly for Scotland Russell was sent to the bin with one minute of the half to play.
More articles:
–Six Nations Calcutta Cup Inquest: England Tried To Play To The Book, Scotland Played Rugby
–Six Nations 2021 Preview: No Form Guides Can Be Made Out The Chaos Of This Season. Let’s Just Get The Tournament Started To Help Us Through These Bleak Times
–Result: Aberdeen Lose 2-0 To Hibs To Pile More Misery On Mcinnes And Lose Further Ground In The Fight For Third
Second half: Scotland not tiring
Even though Scotland started the half with fourteen men you wouldn’t have thought it.
Ben Young’s box kick was instantly won by Scotland who were able to eat away at the clock until they could return to a full fifteen.
When England did get a chance to break Scotland’s forwards stood up to them.
A kicking game ensued which Scotland won resulting in a Scotland penalty. Hogg made the genius/ludicrous decision (you decide) to kick to touch and go for a try a man down instead of get another three points on the board.
Scotland didn’t just manage Russell’s absence they almost scored. A second try for Van der Merwe was only prevented by a pack of white shirts making a human wall in front of England’s try line. In the end Russell sauntered back on the pitch and kicked three points under the posts for a penalty conceded by Genge.
Scotland could have and should have been further ahead with Russell missing a straight forward kick after Itoje gave away a penalty in the line-out on 53’.
So riled were England that Eddie Jones came down from his tower and onto the touchline to try sort out the mess the English were in.
An hour played in a dark and empty Twickenham, the stats were completely in favour of the Scots. 70 per cent possession and England having to make three times the tackles – 130 to 40.
Again England conceded a penalty, Hogg kicked the ball a country mile to make touch and Scotland were driving at England’s goal line, but were held up a yard short.
The last fifteen minutes was signified with a challenge by Russell on Jonny May that drove the Gloucester winger back into his own 22.
England got a penalty from the play that ensued and suddenly found themselves in Scotland’s half with possession at the business end of the game, but twelve phases couldn’t break Steve Tandy’s defence and England eventually kicked the ball away.
Van der Merwe looks to be a unit but the acquisition that is so much more satisfying is Cameron Redpath, who the Scots took right under the noses of the English.
It was Redpath who covered Curry, preventing England from building an attack and winning Scotland a penalty for not releasing.
The conditions were brutal and it was asking too much for Hogg to convert from the halfway line and make it an eight point lead.
It remained a one score game with five to go.
This time it was Jonny Gray to be the hero. As England tried to launch another attack Gray caught May and held him up like a baby with a child’s play thing – be it a one hell of a big baby. England were made to concede yet another penalty for not releasing.
England: 1. Genge (->72′) 2. George (->55′) 3. Stuart (->62′) 4. Itoje 5. Hill 6. Wilson (->52′) 7. Curry 8. Vunipola (->67′) 9. Youngs (->55′) 10. Farrell(C) 11. May 12. Lawrence (->69′) 13. Slade 14. Watson (->76′) 15. Daly
Replacements: 16. Cowen-Dickie (->55′) 17. Obano (->72′) 18. Williams (->62′) 19. Lawes (->52′) 20. Earl (->67′) 21. Robson (->55′) 22. Ford (->69′) 23. Malins (->76′)
Tries:
Cons:
Pens: Farrell 23′, 33′
Scotland: 1. Sutherland (->64′) 2. Turner (->67′) 3. Z Fagerson (->64′) 4. Cummings 5. J Gray 6. J Ritchie (->66′) 7. Watson 8. M Fagerson(->64′) 9. Price (->69′) 10. Russell 11. Van der Merwe 12. Redpath 13. Harris 14. Maitland (->73′) 15. Hogg (C)
Replacements: 16. Cherry (->67′) 17. Kebble (->64′) 18. Nel (->64′) 19. R Gray (->66′) 20. Graham (->64′) 21. Steele (->69′) 22. Van der Walt 23. Jones (->73′)
Tries: Van der Merwe 30′
Cons:
Pens: Russell 4′, 49′
Up next for Scotland
Scotland welcome Wales to Murrayfield looking for their first back-to-back victory against the Welsh since August 2003. Saturday, 13th Feb, KO 16:45.
Harry Jamshid Reporter Sports Pages 