EDINBURGH, Scotland – Scotland emphatically reclaimed the Calcutta Cup, dismantling England 31-20 at a raucous Murrayfield on . The victory, Scotland’s biggest against England since 2018, not only ends England’s 12-Test unbeaten run but also injects vital momentum into their Six Nations campaign after an opening-round defeat to Italy.
The Scots set the tone early, capitalizing on an English infringement just four minutes into the match. Finn Russell coolly slotted a penalty, giving Scotland an immediate 3-0 lead. The pressure quickly mounted on the visitors as England wing Henry Arundell received a yellow card in the eighth minute for failing to release the ball at the breakdown. Scotland ruthlessly exploited the numerical advantage.
Centre Huw Jones showcased his attacking prowess, rounding Maro Itoje to score the game’s first try in the tenth minute. Russell’s subsequent conversion extended the lead to 10-0. Just four minutes later, Jamie Ritchie added another try, surging over in the same corner after a fluid attack. Russell continued his perfect kicking record, pushing Scotland’s advantage to 17-0 by the quarter-hour mark – a stark contrast to their slow start in Rome the previous week.
England, however, refused to yield. A powerful lineout and driving maul provided the platform for a response, with Arundell – having returned to the field – touching down under the posts after a clever dummy from George Ford. The Sale Sharks man converted his own try and then added a penalty as the clock ticked past 25 minutes, narrowing the gap to 17-13. But Scotland quickly reasserted control.
A perfectly weighted grubber kick from Russell deep into English territory caused chaos in the backfield. Ellis Genge fumbled the ball, and Ben White pounced, diving over for Scotland’s third try. Russell’s conversion restored a 14-point cushion, sending the Murrayfield crowd into raptures. The first half concluded with further misfortune for England, as Arundell received a second yellow card for a dangerous aerial challenge, reducing them to 14 men for the remainder of the match.
The second half began with England attempting to claw their way back into the contest. They earned a scrum penalty directly in front of the posts, which Ford calmly converted, making it 24-13. However, any hopes of a sustained comeback were dashed five minutes later. As England attempted to set up a drop goal, the attempt was charged down, and Huw Jones was on hand to collect the loose ball and score his second try of the match. Russell’s conversion extended Scotland’s lead to a commanding 31-13.
England did manage a late consolation try through Ben Earl, converted by Ford, but it proved to be too little, too late. Scotland held on to secure a deserved victory, inflicting England’s first loss since .
The result significantly alters the landscape of the Six Nations championship. While Scotland breathes new life into their title aspirations, England’s hopes of capping their recent resurgence with a first title since 2020 have suffered a major blow.
Reaction
England lock Maro Itoje acknowledged the team’s struggles, stating, “It was a tough game – there were pivotal moments in both halves that got away from us, we have to take a hard look at the game, reassess and come back stronger next week.”
Itoje continued, pinpointing early errors as crucial, “In the first 20 minutes we gave away penalties and field position, and when we got into their end of the pitch we didn’t convert – but it’s the nature of the beast, this is Six Nations rugby – all teams are good. We need to start our game well, we need to start our game with accuracy and precision – we didn’t do that today.”
England will look to rebound when they face Ireland at Allianz Stadium on , with kickoff scheduled for 14:10 GMT. Scotland, meanwhile, will aim to build on this impressive performance as they continue their Six Nations campaign.
