Scotland retained the Calcutta Cup with a dramatic Six Nations win over England
(Picture: Getty Images)After the best part of two barren years away, the fans are back in heaving Six Nations stadiums and, at Murrayfield, a raucous crowd of 67,144 were treated to a belting Calcutta Cup clash, which Scotland won in unforgettable fashion by 20 points to 17.
A stunning second half saw Marcus Smith guide England into a seven-point lead before – with the fly-half replaced for the final 15 minutes – Scotland roared back to claim victory. It means England have won just one of the last five Calcutta Cup matches, and just one of their last four Six Nations matches. It is a long way back from here in a fiercely competitive Championship.
The scores were level at 17-17 when Luke Cowan-Dickie, the England hooker, was rightly sent to the sin bin for slapping a Finn Russell cross-kick into touch. Because Darcy Graham was lurking just a couple of metres behind Cowan-Dickie, the referee Ben O’Keefe had little choice but to award the penalty try.
From there, England’s decision-making was questionable, with prop Joe Marler failing to throw the ball five metres at a lineout, gifting Scotland a free-kick. From the resultant scrum, which England had to compete at with just seven men (Jamie George was on the field at hooker by now), Scotland were awarded a penalty.
Russell knocked Scotland into a three-point lead with eight minutes remaining, and that was enough. As the rain teemed down, it was a frantic final few minutes, with Scotland needing to steal an England lineout and produce a vital turnover. There were three try resets in Scotland’s half with the clock red, but they hung on. It had been a mighty performance, with Graham and Matt Fagerson particularly immense.
If the second half was helter-skelter, the first was the calm before the storm. With a Russell penalty from the final kick of the half, Scotland took a 10-6 lead into the break. England had the better of possession (63 per cent) and territory (72 per cent), but failed to convert that into points, with just two Smith penalties to show for their dominance. The closest they came was Cowan-Dickie breaking from a 10-man maul to be held up over the line, while Smith overhit a cross-kick when England had an advantage.
Scotland were far more efficient, scoring with just about their only meaningful attack. It was a beauty, too, that summed up their desperation to keep the ball alive and stretch the game through inventive methods. A quick lineout sparked the move, which saw Russell feed Graham, who sent Ben White over to raucous adulation from the stands.
Scotland had caught England napping, and White had a dream start to his international career. The London Irish scrum-half, a former England Under-20 international, was only on the field for 12 minutes in the first half while Ali Price underwent – and passed – a HIA. But White provided a nagging presence, and ran a terrific support line to score.
England pressed into Scottish territory early in the second half, but a series of home infringements was rewarded by a single simple penalty for Smith in front of the posts to trim the margin to one point.
It was Smith – playing his first International away from Twickenham, and making his Six Nations debut – who took England into the lead. With England holding the advantage and their maul rolling into the 22, he spotted a gap on the blindside and guided home on a delightful line after Ben Youngs’ delicate pass. Smith failed to kick the conversion from wide, and failed to find touch with a penalty soon after. He had a fine game, scoring England’s points, but made errors, too.
Smith’s try sparked the game into life. Graham set off on a stunning, dizzying run as Scotland finally got some sustained possession, orchestrated by Russell’s vision and hands.
As soon as that attack ended, Scotland skipper Stuart Hogg was desperately defending on his own line, pursued by Max Malins after Henry Slade’s wonderful hack downfield. Scotland escaped, and suddenly it was England needing to bundle a man into touch to save themselves.
The only pauses for breath came when Jamie Ritchie had to be taken from the field on a stretcher – he was sat up, but emerged shortly after on crutches – and as the referee deliberated Cowan-Dickie’s offence. Those moments of respite amid the thriller were welcomed by those in the stands and on the field.
