In between times the England have had the better of it by some distance, but this was truly one for the ages for the Scots. This first win at Twickenham in 38 years – and only their fifth at the home of English rugby – saw them not only lift the Calcutta Cup, but knock the reigning champions off their perch.
As Scotland’s outstanding captain Stuart Hogg and his men leaped for joy on a pitch that has brought them so much pain, they could reflect on doing a ruthlessly professional job by outplaying a desperately flat, disappointing England side in every department.
Pre-match reports that the Scottish forwards were going to get after an English pack weakened by front row injuries were soon confirmed, and the much-vaunted strength-indepth of Eddie Jones’ side proved significantly shallower than expected.
The Scots disrupted England at the scrum, where Scottish props Rory Sutherland and Zander Fagerson put the heat on Will Stuart and Ellis Genge, and at the lineout, where Scotland’s unsung hero Scott Cummings was almost flawless as was Jonny Gray.
In the loose the momentum was wrenched off the English loose trio, with both Scottish flankers, Hamish Watson and Jamie Ritchie, trumping Tom Curry and Mark Wilson in attack and defence.
There was also a points victory for the young Scotland No.8 Matt Fagerson, because Billy Vunipola struggled to make his usual headway. Vunipola’s lack of match-practice showed, as it did with his Saracens teammates Owen Farrell, Jamie George, and Elliot Daly, with only Maro Itoje able to rise to the occasion.
This story is from the February 7, 2021 edition of The Rugby Paper.
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This story is from the February 7, 2021 edition of The Rugby Paper.
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