England …………………………16pts
Try: Freeman 9
Conversion: M Smith 9
Penalties: M Smith 56, 67; F Smith 70
Scotland ……………………….15pts
Tries: White 4, Jones 19, van der Merwe 79
Fin Smith confirmed that he is a big match player to the soles of his boots when he banged over the 50m penalty ten minutes from time which eventually wrestled the Calcutta Cup from Scotland’s grip for the first time in four years.
However, the young English fly-half and his teammates had to ride out a torrid last act in this Auld Enemy arm-wrestle when a Scottish side that outscored them three tries to one, came within a sliver of an upright of retaining the trophy by scoring a storming touchdown with two minutes left on the clock.
Final Moments
Almost inevitably, with the Scots trailing 16-10, it fell to Duhan van der Merwe to run it in – maintaining a phenomenal strike rate of seven tries against England in the last five encounters.
However, it was a neat inside pass by Tom Jordan which set it up, sending the big bench centre Stafford McDowall ripping up the English middle before being stopped short of the line.
From the recycle, quick hands saw van der Merwe, who had an outstanding match in attack, give Scotland the chance to keep the Calcutta Cup north of the border, but Finn Russell’s conversion from wide out was just shy of the English Fin’s ice-cold precision.
The winning penalty was one of a number of decisions that went England’s way when two Scottish forwards were penalised at the ruck for lifting Ben Curry off his feet – and off the ball – as he attempted to win a turn-over.
Defensive Doggedness
It was eventually enough for England to claim another one-point win to set next to that against France two weeks ago, but it took every ounce of defensive doggedness and grit in their locker to shut out the Scots.
The visitors recycled the ball impressively in search of another opening, until finally, in the second minute of overtime, a phalanx of England players hustled a Scottish maul into touch – and the Red Rose drought was done.
One of the mantras often heard about rugby union is that you get what you deserve on the scoreboard, and when it came to tenacity, and a refusal to take second despite being on the rack for long periods of this Test, only the most curmudgeonly would quibble with the result.
Yet, when it came to attacking flair and precision, especially in the first-half, and then again in the last knockings, Scotland were streets ahead of an England attack that often looked clunky and disjointed by comparison.
That the Scots did not get a better return for their elan was down to a combination of an England defence that has become much more hard-working and cohesive, and a Scotland side that lost some of its sharpness and shape in the second half.
England’s Kicking
One of England’s failings is that their overall kicking game lacks accuracy, with too much of Alex Mitchell’s box-kicking too long to be contestable by the chasers.
It also provided the Scots with a handy springboard for their attack, which was also helped by the quick ball provided by a pack which, unlike against Ireland, went toe to toe in most areas with the England forwards.
Jamie Ritchie was a constant bugbear to England at the breakdown, and they were only in deficit at the scrum, where Zander Fagerson will have lost some Lions headway – with England’s Will Stuart and Ellis Genge doing enough to get the bulk of the penalties.
It was also the case that England were on the money with the penalties they forced out of the Scots in the second half, after trailing 10-7 at half time.
It is notable that Marcus Smith took back the kicking duties for the short to mid-range kicks, nailing the two penalties either side of the hour that gave them a 13-10 advantage, before handing over to his Northampton namesake for the long-range clutch kick that ultimately separated the two teams.
Match Action
The game started with a bang, with Scotland scoring a peach of an opening try after just three minutes, with Russell prompting the move from inside his own 22 by passing to van der Merwe.
The Springbok Scot took off like a big scalded cat, beating Lawrence for pace on the outside before linking with Blair Kinghorn.
When the full-back’s pass hit Jordan at full pelt he raced down the touchline, outpacing Luke Cowan-Dickie before throwing a fast flat pass inside to Ben White, and the scrum-half was rewarded for his backing-up by going over untouched.
Russell could not convert, but Scotland’s first-half sleepwalk against the Irish had been banished, and England knew instantly that this was a different Scottish beast.
Tommy Freeman Try
However, the visitors’ 5-0 lead did not last long, because they camped in the Scotland 22 from a Maro Itoje lineout to mount a series of pick and drives which threatened the line.
After Tom Curry and Ben Earl had been stopped just short, Mitchell’s pass found Tommy Freeman, and the strapping England wing was awarded a try after forcing his way between the tackles of Russell and Jordan, and the added attention of Pierre Schoeman.
This was given despite camera angles not being conclusive that he had grounded the ball, but with Marcus Smith converting England led 7-5 with eight minutes played.
Scotland regained the lead midway through the half, when their other ‘hammer of the English’, Huw Jones, punched his way over in the corner after a scintillating Scots backline move which started deep in their own half.
It saw the ball zip through the hands of White, Russell, Jordan, the rumbustious Kyle Rowe, and Kinghorn, before Van der Merwe’s pass hit Jones on the burst. Sheer poetry.
Couldn’t Build a Bigger Lead
Russell could not add the extras, and at 10-7 it was Scotland in the ascent. The only hitch that despite numerous dangerous incursions into the England 22 they were not able to hit the same heights again and build a bigger lead.
In fact, they were almost sucker-punched by England, when, just before half-time a break by Ollie Lawrence and a backhand pass sent Marcus Smith darting for the Scottish line.
Although he was hauled down short, England should have scored from the ruck – but Lawrence’s second backhand pass was more of a moonshot, going three feet over Freeman’s head.
The ledger from another fine-margins England win is that there is growth, but, although they have unearthed a gem in Fin Smith, they are still a team which is short on cohesion.
If they can build this against Italy and Wales, a top two Six Nations finish is within reach. However, when it comes to greatness, which is head coach Steve Borthwick’s target, the Scots did enough to remind this England team they are only in the foothills.
READ MORE: Six Nations – England’s warriors end Scottish curse
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