Eddie Jones will lead England for the seventh time in a Six Nations Calcutta Cup clash this weekend, and says he believes this is the first time Scotland have had to “carry the burden” of being “red-hot favourites” for the iconic fixture.
England head to Edinburgh for a match which is set to take place in dreadful conditions, just as it did on their last visit two years ago.
That was their only win in the fixture in the last four years, and Scotland currently hold the Calcutta Cup having won at Twickenham in 2021 for the first time since 1983.
Jones selected a new-look, mobile side captained by Tom Curry, while Scotland picked a familiar, seasoned team. Jones said Scotland will have to manage the expectation, even though England are favourites with the bookies.
“We want to get on the front foot and take Scotland on,” said Jones. “It's the first time I've had the experience of going up there when Scotland have been red-hot favourites. They're expected to win. Every time their players look at the crowd at Murrayfield they'll feel that expectation - they're expected to win. They are red-hot favourites and they've got to cope with that expectation.
“There'll be 67,000 fans and they'll be thinking about all the fans watching the game on the BBC. They have to carry that burden. Every game for us is the same - we're expected to win, so it's no different for us.
“We're like that every game, but this is a special game isn't it. A special game, the Calcutta Cup. It's been going for 143 years [although the fixture was first played eight years earlier], it means a lot to both countries and it's the first time I've gone there as the underdogs.”
Jones said Curry reminded him of Richie McCaw, the legendary former All Blacks captain, and expects him to lead by example while stepping in for Owen Farrell and Courtney Lawes.
"[Curry] leads by example," Jones said. "He reminds me of a young Richie McCaw, who was able to lead by example and, as he progresses, there will be other bits and pieces of his captaincy that goes with that. But at the start of his career it's all about leading by example and getting the team on to the front foot. That goes in line with how we want to play the game.
"Captaincy is not about the number of caps. Captaincy is about the person who can lead a group of players on the field, lead by example. And there is no better player in our squad than Tom Curry to do that.
"He's a player who players like to play with. Not dissimilar to Owen, players like to play with those sort of players who lead by example. Tom's got an opportunity, we're hopeful Courtney will be back at some stage, but for this week Tom's the most important player to take that big seat."
