Six Nations: Storming Scotland stun England to seal Calcutta Cup glory

Certain wins feel bigger than others and, for Scotland, this result will reverberate for ages. Reclaiming the Calcutta Cup is always sweet but convincingly ending England’s 12-Test unbeaten record was a glorious bonus. For Gregor Townsend and his side, under pressure after their opening round defeat in Rome, this was some riposte to their critics

Ultimately, it was not even close. Two tries by Huw Jones, a hard-nosed collective effort from the Scottish pack and a typically artful display from Finn Russell were simply too much for an England team who had dared to believe this week that their previous tartan traumas were behind them. Instead, they were outplayed and tactically out-thought by Townsend and his coaching staff. England have now won just two of the past nine meetings between the nations.

Scotland were rampant at times in the first half, with sharp tries by Jones, Jamie Ritchie and Ben White giving them a 24-10 interval cushion. From England’s perspective, there was little improvement thereafter, with Jones’s second try, originating from a charged-down George Ford drop-goal attempt, in effect sealing the visitors’ fate.

Well as Scotland played, they were assisted by a strangely below-par English effort. Little errors killed any momentum they did generate and their defensive system, with Tommy Freeman not looking entirely at ease in the midfield, was repeatedly outflanked. Steve Borthwick’s side, possibly lulled into a false sense of security by their straightforward win over Wales in round one, were off the pace and lacking in control and authority.

Huw Jones scores Scotland’s fourth try after George Ford’s kick was charged down. Photograph: David Rogers/Getty Images

They also had Henry Arundell shown red in the 37th minute when the wing received his second yellow card of the game for taking out Kyle Steyn in the air. These days that means England were reduced to 14 men for only the ensuing 20 minutes but the disruption to Borthwick’s plans and the encouragement it gave Scotland were both significant.

Such twists and turns are all part of the intricate Six Nations tapestry. And days such as this encapsulate the championship’s enduring appeal. The city of Edinburgh looked achingly beautiful beneath clear blue skies and, as ever, there was a tantalising sense of local expectancy on the streets and the stadium-bound trams. To dust down a classic old Scottish newspaper intro: Can they do it? Aye, I think they can.

It was also a perfect evening for rugby: cold, still and atmospheric. The acoustic version of Flower of Scotland never sounds better than when England are in town, while the hosts’ defeat in Rome added a now-or-never element. For Scotland this fixture was a clear fork in the road in terms of their championship prospects.

Gregor Townsend had demanded a good start “to show who we are” and the opening 14 minutes suggested his players were still very much listening to him. Even before Arundell received a slightly harsh first yellow for desperately trying to slow down a home attack, Scotland were already ahead through a Russell penalty and looking sharp. A 14-man England were struggling to get a grip and a lovely midfield tip-on by Russell then gave Jones the chance to run around Maro Itoje, temporarily out of his natural habitat on the right wing.

Worse was to follow for the visitors as Scotland poured forward again, committing white-shirted defenders and leaving England’s flanks exposed. This time it was Sione Tuipulotu’s long pass to the unmarked Ritchie that did the damage, with Russell’s second successful conversion further widening the gap.

Henry Arundell (left) endured a tough afternoon after two yellow cards in the first half of the Calcutta Cup clash. Photograph: David Rogers/Getty Images

England needed to respond urgently and did so when Arundell, back on the field, appeared on Ford’s shoulder to score his fourth try of this championship. So much for a cautious, cagey opening half-hour. A Ford penalty made it 17-10 after just 25 minutes with no sign of the contest slowing down.

Russell was certainly enjoying himself and Scotland’s ringmaster was soon orchestrating more mischief. Having already danced around and through a thicket of defenders, the fly-half put in a rolling chip that held up nicely just short of the England line. Ellis Genge went to gather it but the ball squirted loose and Ben White seized gleefully on the unexpected gift.

Almost nothing that England had talked about – silencing the crowd, suffocating Russell, asserting forward dominance – came to pass. They looked uncertain and their narrow defence was again shown up when Scotland chose to run from their own line, making good progress up the right-hand side rather than hoofing the ball straight back into English hands.

With Arundell having now disappeared for the second time, England’s rigid gameplan badly needed updating. Ten Scottish linebreaks to three reflected the tenor of the contest’s first 40 minutes as accurately as any other stat and Borthwick’s side were already heading for their heaviest Six Nations defeat since they lost 29-13 to Ireland in 2023.

Even the arrival of Tom Curry in place of Sam Underhill at half-time could not steady the sinking ship. An early scrum penalty did trim the score to 24-13 but another English calamity was just around the corner. Ford’s drop-goal attempt was charged down by the energetic Matt Fagerson and Jones was on his shoulder to sprint 60 metres for the bonus-point score.

The rest was simply a matter of Scotland ensuring there would be no repeat of past collapses from winning positions, despite a late consolation try for Ben Earl. This result has also dramatically resuscitated their title hopes, with embattled Wales in Cardiff next up. Although, on the evidence of this spectacular turnaround, it would be wisest to assume nothing.