Some matches are bigger than others and this year’s Kolkata Cup match falls into this category. The World Cup may be over, but for reasons both ancient and modern, the 142nd edition of rugby’s oldest international fixture feels more important than ever. A decisive encounter in the short and medium term awaits all concerned.
In different ways, Scotland and England have reached a crossroads in their development paths. Get it satisfactorily right and the high road is beckoning. Stumbles and a host of thorny old questions will quickly resurface, especially for visitors to Murrayfield. Narrow wins over Italy and Wales are one thing, but the acid test for the latest Red Rose incarnation has come.
Relating to: Farrell and Crowley add certainty to Ireland’s quest for repeat grand slam
We’ve undoubtedly been here before. Not unlike the repainting of the nearby Forth Bridge, renovations in England sometimes seem like one of those truly never-ending projects. Some things are non-negotiable, though, and a fourth successive Six Nations loss to Scotland would be impossible for anyone at Twickenham to gloss over.
If Scotland loses both home games, they will have a deeply disappointing championship. If they had been unlucky in the final moments against France, they would have known that this was a match they had to win no matter what. Nepotism doesn’t always suit them, but once again they falter in front of their own supporters and beckon for another year of frustrating failures.
Hence the anticipation in the cool, malty air around Murrayfield, a place where England rarely feels entirely at ease. They won in 2020, but that was their only success in the last six meetings. Steve Borthwick and his cast need to shut this show down badly to back up his insistence that better times are just around the corner.
It won’t be easy: Scotland are an established, talented and motivated team. They tend to play smart in these situations too, rather than settling for the slow, abrasive game that usually suits England so well. With Rory Darge and Jamie Ritchie keen to break the English composure, you don’t need a crystal ball to predict that the collapse will again be a crucial area or that Finn Russell’s fingerprints will be all over the contest at some stage.
England are doing their best to prepare themselves by inviting youngster Finn Smith from Northampton to copy some of Russell’s little tricks and tricks in training. But it’s not always that simple and it was instructive to hear Scotland’s ringmaster discuss the mentality required to outlast the strengthened “blitz” defense that England will bring.
At the World Cup, South Africa got ahead of Scotland with passing, rushed to reduce Russell’s options and narrowed down their opponents’ style. Russell says the lessons learned from the 18-3 defeat were duly taken into account. “We probably retreated a bit under pressure. Tomorrow we just need to believe in ourselves and rely on the work we’ve done in the last six months to a year.
“We don’t get tunnel vision when we feel under pressure. We cannot just focus on their attacks and look directly ahead. We need to look at the big picture.
“One message I conveyed to the children today was decisive: Do not hesitate between carrying and passing. That’s when you’re on the back foot and the defense comes at us.”
If that sometimes means a scare game, that’s almost certainly what awaits us. Wales found some space inside England’s midfield defenders, but did not have the firepower broadly that Scotland did. Given the fastball and some space, Duhan van der Merwe and Kyle Steyn are capable of causing major problems in the rebuilt rear defence. The return of Blair Kinghorn won’t exactly hinder their kicking game either.
From an England perspective, the onus is on the front five to create some momentum, ideally with center Ollie Lawrence repeating his terrific form for Bath before his untimely injury last month. Having left Italy and Wales behind at halftime, the guest team should start faster and keep the number of penalties as low as possible. In this regard, it is a bit concerning for them that referee Andrew Brace was responsible for Scotland’s Calcutta Cup wins in 2018 and 2021.
However, off the field, England are a positive-minded and harmonious group, as they have been for years; This seems to help them find a way through difficult matches that they would once have run away from. There is also a leader in Jamie George who set a truly remarkable example after learning of his mother’s cancer diagnosis on the same day he was invited to captain England. If her inspiring, warm and heartfelt tribute to her late mother has as much of an impact on her team as the media gathered on Thursday night, they will be desperate to honor Jane George’s memory in the biggest way possible.
Relating to: Gregor Townsend and Scotland to target England’s ‘risk and reward’ defense
It is clear that such things make the outcome of any rugby match completely relative. As George insisted, his mother loved the game and was extremely proud of her appointment. In such situations, working out takes on new meaning: It becomes a chance to channel raw emotions elsewhere, find solace in the camaraderie of the locker room, and be thankful for small mercies as the first notes of the anthem soar into the sky.
Afterwards? Sensitivity will only provide the UK with a partial shield as temperatures drop and the Murrayfield vortex intensifies. Stand firm and they will take charge of their own destiny despite the upcoming games against Ireland and France. Be swept away again by a growing number of rivals and the progress they have been persistently making will have to be re-evaluated.
It creates a tantalizing prospect and possibly a choppy ride for both sets of fans. Scotland faced a controversial photo-finish a fortnight ago but could get some respite this time as they seek a fourth straight win over England for the first time in more than half a century.