The Calcutta Cup, rugby’s oldest fixture, carries a weight of history. For some, that history is a burden. For a new generation of England players, it’s a liberation. As England prepares to face Scotland at Murrayfield this Saturday, , a key element of their optimism lies in the presence of players untainted by recent defeats to the auld enemy.
Henry Pollock, the Northampton back-row, embodies this fresh perspective. He was just 13 years old in 2018 when Scotland began a period of sustained dominance in the Calcutta Cup, a run punctuated by a tunnel altercation initiated by Ryan Wilson that set the tone for a memorable Scottish victory. Pollock was still in prep school when Scotland mounted a remarkable recovery from 31-0 down to draw at Twickenham, and at Stowe School as the Scots secured four consecutive wins. Even last season, he was honing his skills with the U20s while the senior team faced Scotland.
This lack of historical baggage is, according to former England fly-half Andy Goode, a significant advantage. “Ask the lads that lost those games to Scotland and they’ll say, ‘Oh no, past history of the fixture didn’t affect us – it was about the here and now’,” Goode explained. “That’s the natural thing to say, as a bloke, right? I’m not so sure.”
Goode believes that England coach Steve Borthwick deserves credit for integrating players like Pollock, Guy Pepper, and Henry Arundell into the squad. “These guys are not scarred by those defeats because they are untouched by them. They aren’t fussed around the history of this fixture,” he said. “That fearlessness mixed with the experience of Ford, Genge, Itoje, Underhill and Earl, is going to stand England in good stead and, for me, it gives them the edge this Saturday.”
The dynamic has shifted. Despite losing the last two encounters at Murrayfield and three of the last four England are the odds-on favourites for this weekend’s match. This seemingly counterintuitive positioning is, in part, attributed to the psychological impact of this new breed of English player.
Even Ryan Wilson, now a pundit for Premier Sports and a key figure in Scotland’s recent successes, acknowledges Pollock’s appeal. “When I played I was happy for everyone to hate me,” Wilson admitted. “I didn’t want anyone to like me from any other team, especially England. But I’ve got to know a few of their players really well. I was filming with Pollock last week and you can’t help but love the bloke. He’s an infectious, hilarious character.”
Pollock’s rise has been meteoric. Just a year ago, he was helping England U20s to victory over France and receiving his first call-up to a senior training camp, where he spent two days simply introducing himself to his new teammates. Now, he’s a key component of the national team, and his impact extends beyond the pitch.
Lucas Friday, a Harlequins scrum-half who played alongside Pollock for the England U20s, highlighted the inspirational effect Pollock is having on younger players. “It’s pretty inspirational to see how quick Pollock’s got to the level he has,” Friday said. “For all of us coming through, it’s very encouraging in so much as he has made it seem not too far away, if that makes sense. We see what he is achieving then come into environments like this and just take every opportunity we can get.”
Pollock, described by Goode as a “show pony” with “boundless energy and non-stop patter,” is more than just a talented rugby player. He’s a cultural phenomenon, inspiring a new generation of fans. “You’ve got kids now wanting to be Henry Pollock that a year ago, did not know who he was,” Goode observed. “You’re seeing grown men with wigs and tape wrapped round their head.”
The recent form of both teams adds another layer of complexity to the fixture. England’s victory over Wales contrasts with Scotland’s defeat to Italy, but Goode cautions against reading too much into these results. “I actually think Scotland losing is the worst possible result for England,” he said. “It just allows Scotland to blow out their bagpipes a bit further with the doom and gloom of losing in the manner they did.”
Goode points to past controversies, such as a disputed try and a refereeing decision, as evidence of Scotland’s ability to thrive under pressure. “The Scotland team will be massively motivated to write the wrongs of last week,” he predicted. “It’s a big test of England but, with the confidence they’ve got and the bench to come on, I take them to win a close one.”
The Calcutta Cup remains a fiercely contested rivalry, steeped in tradition and national pride. But this year, a new dynamic is at play – a generation of English players, led by the fearless Henry Pollock, unburdened by the ghosts of past defeats and ready to write their own chapter in the history of this iconic fixture.
