Scottish confidence took a colossal nosedive after an abysmal performance saw them shut out in a Calcutta Match for the first time since 1978. They were lucky to escape only 13 points down at the break, and all but waved the white flag in the second half, surrendering three quarters of the territory and nearly as much possession. The loss put a cap on a tempestuous week that must go down as one of the worst in the team’s history, certainly in the professional era.
After Scott Johnson’s blatantly misguided decision to drop Kelly Brown following the defeat to Ireland, only the most foolhardy would have expected Scotland to respond with fury, but few would have predicted the depth of indignation demonstrated by the team. This was not simply a poor effort, this was a complete capitulation and it’s glaringly obvious that Johnson has lost the support of his players. How they can salvage anything from this tournament is now anyone’s guess, though Johnson continues to bleat on about finding new players.
It would, however, be disingenuous to dismiss the result as entirely borne of Scottish indifference. England played well, better than in Paris, though Stuart Lancaster has rightfully declared his disappointment that they failed to stretch their points differential. Running rugby was always going to be difficult given the shambolic state of the pitch, but his men overachieved in this regard, moving the ball wide on a number of occasions and only small lapses in concentration prevented them from finishing with greater frequency.
A week on and both Luther Burrell and Jack Nowell looked more assured, and Jonny May proved that a broken nose is no bother for an attacking winger of real class. Billy Twelvetrees took a step in the right direction, and Mike Brown was well worth his man-of-the-match award. Of course the backs had the forwards to thank for such dominant possession; the second row pairing of Joe Launchbury and Courtney Lawes growing in stature by the day.
With that England have restored faith in themselves, but given the result in Dublin are now in all probability out of the title reckoning, though a victory next week at Twickenham could certainly stir the pot a little. A second place finish looks a more reasonable expectation, but it will in all likelihood depend on the result in Paris on the last day of the tournament, shaping up to be a winner-take-all encounter that this great tournament regularly provides.
SCOTLAND 0 vs 20 ENGLAND
Saturday, February 8, Edinburgh, 17:00 GMT
SCORING
07 mins – D. Care drop 0-3
14 mins – L. Burrell try 0-8
15 mins – O. Farrell con 0-10
29 mins – O. Farrell pen 0-13
58 mins – M. Brown try 0-18
59 mins – O. Farrell con 0-20
CARDS
51 mins – A. Dunbar yellow (professional foul)
SCOTLAND
S. Hogg; T. Seymour (M. Evans 64), A. Dunbar, M. Scott (D. Taylor 72), S. Lamont; D. Weir, G. Laidlaw (capt.) (C. Cusiter 64); R. Grant (A. Dickinson 43), R. Ford (S. Lawson 43), M. Low (G. Cross 67); T. Swinson, J. Hamilton (J. Gray 69); R. Wilson, C. Fusaro, D. Denton (J. Beattie 53).
ENGLAND
M. Brown; J. Nowell, L. Burrell (B. Barritt 74), B. Twelvetrees, J. May (A. Goode 71); O. Farrell, D. Care (L. Dickson 74); J. Marler (M. Vunipola 64), D. Hartley (T. Youngs 69), D. Cole (H. Thomas 75); J. Launchbury (D. Attwood 62), C. Lawes; T. Wood, C. Robshaw (capt.), B. Vunipola (B. Morgan 69).
Referee: J. Garcès (FFR)
Assistants: G. Clancy (IRFU) & M. Fraser (NZRU)
TMO: E. Gauzins (FFR)
