Rugby Union Match Report | Scotland 31 - 20 England

Scotland produced a ferocious response to their Six Nations loss in Italy

They tore England apart in a bonus-point victory in a breathless Calcutta Cup encounter.

Author | Sophie T

Stadium | Murrayfield

Conducted superbly by Finn Russell and driven by a sharp-edged ruthlessness, the hosts overwhelmed an England side that never recovered from a chaotic opening. The Scots looked transformed.

After a testing week that followed defeat by Italy, and against opponents chasing a 13th consecutive win and a first success in Edinburgh since 2020, Gregor Townsend’s side surged into a stunning 17-0 lead inside the opening quarter.

Russell set the tone with an early penalty before tries from Huw Jones, Jamie Ritchie and Ben White blew England off course. The visitors’ reply was limited to a converted Henry Arundell try and a George Ford penalty.

Arundell endured a bruising afternoon. The winger was shown two yellow cards in the first half, leaving England to play 30 minutes with 14 men. Scotland made them pay, scoring 14 points during his initial absence to take a 24-10 lead into the interval.

Ford reduced the deficit shortly after the restart, but any hint of momentum was extinguished when Jones struck again. Matt Fagerson charged down Ford’s drop-goal attempt and the centre raced 60 metres unchallenged to score.

This was a Scotland side that played with new purpose

They have often been accused of switching off with a lead, but there was no such lapse here. England enjoyed brief spells of pressure, only to be met by fierce resistance in defence and attack.

Ben Earl’s late try narrowed the margin to 11 points, though it did little to dampen the mood inside the stadium.

England, despite recent signs of progress, left Edinburgh with familiar questions to answer. Where do they go from here.