Famous Fixtures: England v Scotland
Ahead of England's opening Six Nations match against Scotland, we take a look at five famous fixtures between the sides.
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2021: England 6 - 11 Scotland
It was a low scoring game in the 2021 edition of the Calcutta Cup. With sporting stadiums under strict restrictions due to the Coronavirus pandemic, England and Scotland played in an empty Twickenham Stadium, in what would go down as a historic encounter between the rivals.
England ran out in a specially designed kit, marking 150 years since the first meeting between the two teams. But as the rain poured, it was Scotland who created history, recording their first win at Twickenham since 1983.
England’s points came just before half time from the boot of Owen Farrell. The Scots responded with seven first half points of their own as Duhan van der Merwe crossed the whitewash in the 30th minute and Finn Russell kicked three points from the tee.
A second Russell penalty early in the second half would be the last of the game as the visitors held out for their historic win.
2019: England 38 - 38 Scotland
Fans in attendance at Twickenham for the 2019 Six Nations clash between England and Scotland were in for 80 minutes of exhilarating rugby. The hosts scored four tries in the first 30 minutes, earning the fastest try bonus point in the tournament’s history.
The first try came in a flash, Jack Nowell capitalising off the back of a slick move down the right wing just one minute into the contest. Tom Curry scored his first try at Twickenham as England’s powerful driving maul rolled over the line from short range, before Joe Launchbury dotted down in the 12th minute.
Jonny May made it four when a quick-thinking tap penalty from Ben Youngs sent Henry Slade racing down the wing. A nonchalant pass out the back to his winger to score was the icing on the cake, leaving May with an easy run in.
Scotland managed to put points on the board just before half time when Stuart McInally charged down a Farrell kick and sprinted his way to the try line.
The second half was a somewhat different picture as Scotland came out firing, Darcy Graham closing the deficit in the 48th minute. The visitors’ third came just minutes later when Magnus Bradbury capitalised from a chip and chase from scrum half Ali Price.
Graham would go on to claim Scotland’s fourth try, bringing them within a converted score of the hosts, and a Russell interception and try just short of the hour mark would draw the scores level.
A dramatic final five minutes saw Sam Johnson take the lead for the Scots, before a last minute equaliser from George Ford secured the 38-38 draw.
2017: England 61 - 21 Scotland
England’s resounding 61-21 victory in 2017 set the record for the most points scored against the Scots by an England side, and also equalled their record for the largest winning margin, which was set in their 43-3 victory in the 2001 Five Nations.
England won back-to-back Six Nations titles in 2016 and 2017, narrowly missing out on the grand slam in 2017 with a narrow 9-13 defeat to Ireland in the final round. But the highlight of the tournament for Eddie Jones’ side came in round four, when they hosted Scotland at Twickenham.
Tries from Anthony Watson and Billy Vunipola, a Danny Care brace and a Jonathan Joseph hat-trick coupled with a dominant performance from Owen Farrell on the tee powered England to the record breaking victory.
Scotland responded with three converted tries of their own through Gordon Reid in the 28th minute and a Huw Jones double in the second half.
The win marked 18 consecutive Test wins, matching the record set by the All Blacks a year earlier. It also set the record for the most consecutive Six Nations championship wins (11).
2007: England 42 - 20 Scotland
82,000 fans watched on at the home of England Rugby when Brian Ashton’s side, captained by Martin Corry, secured a 42-20 victory over Frank Hadden’s Scotland.
World Cup winners in the starting lineup, including Jonny Wilkinson, Mike Tindall, Jason Robinson and Phil Vickery, all played their part in reclaiming the Calcutta Cup in a classic.
Robinson scored twice in the game, while Wilkinson tallied 27 points with a try, two conversions, five penalties and a signature drop goal. Magnus Lund also got on the score board, crossing late on to seal the win.
Scottish tries from Simon Taylor and Rob Dewey were cold comfort for the visitors, who struggled to find a foothold in the game. Chris Paterson’s conversions and two penalty kicks were not enough come the final whistle.
2001: England 43 - 3 Scotland
A year on from their grand slam-defying defeat to Scotland at Murrayfield a year earlier, Martin Johnson led England to bounce back in style, sending their opponents home with just three points to show for their efforts.
Iain Balshaw, the youngest player in the England squad at 21-years-old, wowed Twickenham fans with his pace and footwork, earning two tries on the occasion of his 10th cap. Lawrence Dallaglio also crossed the goal line twice while Will Greenwood and Richard Hill took their share of the spoils with five-pointers of their own.
Duncan Hodge’s three points from the boot was all the visiting Scots could conjure up in a game completely dominated by the men in white.
