‘We were ready for a war’: Scotland’s 2018 win turned tables on auld enemy

Finn Russell hoists the Calcutta Cup in 2018. Including that victory at Murrayfield, the Scots have won four of the past six contests with England. Photograph: Lynne Cameron/Getty

It is an immutable law of the Six Nations that everyone loves beating England. It follows that everyone hates losing to them, and Scotland lost to the auld enemy a lot in the previous decade. No one knew it at the time, but England’s 2009 win at Twickenham was a result that ushered in 10 years of Scottish pain. Ugo Monye, Riki Flutey and Mathew Tait scored tries for the hosts, captained by Steve Borthwick, while the scrum-half Danny Care added a drop goal in a 26-12 victory.

Granted, the reunion at Murrayfield a year later finished 15-15, Scotland’s dynamic back row excelling in an encounter the hosts arguably deserved to win, as Ben Youngs came off the bench for his international debut. But after that, whether it was Martin Johnson, Stuart Lancaster or Eddie Jones in charge, England simply seemed to have Scotland’s number.

The most painful occasion in the decade-long winless run was the final instalment in 2017, a 61-21 thumping in south-west London. Jonathan Joseph scored a hat-trick and Jones’s buoyant side retained the Six Nations title. “The battering Scotland suffered was prolonged and intense,” Michael Aylwin reported in the Observer. “Finn Russell was an obvious target and England wasted no time hitting him.”

For the Scots the situation seemed bleak, and a lack of physicality in the face of England’s big hitters appeared the most urgent problem. Happily for Scotland and their supporters, however, the teams will step on to the Murrayfield turf next Saturday with tables emphatically turned.

Gregor Townsend’s side have won four of the past six Calcutta Cups, and even the 38-38 draw at Twickenham in 2019 felt more like a Scotland victory, achieved as it was from a 31-0 deficit. Russell, the recently self-appointed Lionel Messi of rugby – who took such cruel punishment in 2017 – received considerable criticism after beginning the 2018 campaign indifferently.

But in the build-up to that year’s Calcutta Cup his captain, John Barclay, insisted it would all come good for the fly-half who has virtually trademarked the term “mercurial”. “He typically bounces back,” Barclay predicted. “I’ve seen him not play his best game then next week he’s man of the match.”

The battle began off the pitch that February day, after the warm-ups, when the Scotland back-rower Ryan Wilson had words with England’s George Ford approaching the tunnel. He has since revealed the message he was getting across: “‘We’re coming for you, you want to watch yourself.’ I might have spoken about breaking some bones.”

Wilson v Ford was a mismatch, rugby’s equivalent of Patrick Vieira v Gary Neville, and it sparked a furious reaction from England’s Owen Farrell. The resulting bout of pre-match grappling set the tone. On the pitch Barclay led by example as Scotland’s revitalised pack gave England the hurry-up at the breakdown. They “played with a sustained, controlled fury,” wrote Paul Rees. “Jonny Gray squared up to [England captain Dylan] Hartley and invited Courtney Lawes to join in.”

Meanwhile, Russell’s vision and courageous prompting with ball in hand allowed Scotland’s attack to click. An expertly judged grubber kick sat up for Huw Jones to dive under the posts: incredibly, Scotland’s first try against England at Murrayfield since 2004. A spectacular, high-tariff Russell pass over the head of Joseph – the player whose hat-trick tormented Scotland the year before – sent Jones scorching into England’s half, before Russell got his hands on it again, putting Sean Maitland over in the corner for try No 2.

Jones evaded the clutches of Anthony Watson and Mike Brown to power in for the third, before a yellow card for the replacement Sam Underhill extinguished any lingering hope for England. Watson’s knock-on into touch sparked some of the more raucous celebrations seen after a Calcutta Cup match – going all the way back to 1879.

“It was niggly and physical with a lot on the line,” Barclay said after England’s second defeat in 26 under Jones was sealed. Jones said: “We were ready for a war. We knew the significance of the game and what would get thrown at us,. We did not deal with it well enough.”

Next morning, Jones was accosted by a group of Scotland fans who had clearly done their share of celebrating. The Australian vowed never to travel by public transport again: Scottish Rugby condemned the “disgusting behaviour”. After 10 years the Scottish fans were determined to enjoy their moment, some of them a little too much.

This year, in round one, Russell was dejected when Scotland nearly threw away a 27-0 lead against Wales. Round two brought an agonising, TMO-influenced defeat by France. Borthwick’s under-construction England head north with new faces and a new way of playing. Could this be Russell’s time again?