Scotland triumphs over England in the Calcutta Cup
Scotland ended England’s 12-match winning streak with a decisive 31-20 victory at Murrayfield, reclaiming the Calcutta Cup in what was their most convincing win in this historic rivalry since 2018, reports BritPanorama.
With this result, both teams now share a record of one win and one loss in the ongoing Six Nations Championship, following the tournament’s first two weeks. The outcome represents a significant setback for England, which is seeking its first championship title since 2020.
Entering the match buoyed by prior success, England faced immediate challenges as Scotland’s Finn Russell delivered an exceptional performance, leading the charge with clinical accuracy. Russell opened the scoring just four minutes in with a penalty, before executing a brilliant one-handed flick pass to set up Huw Jones for the game’s opening try in the 10th minute.
Scotland continued to dominate, with Jamie Ritchie scoring a second try minutes later when the home side swiftly shifted the ball across the pitch. Ben White capitalized on a handling error from Ellis Genge to extend Scotland’s lead further, whilst England’s Henry Arundell was cautioned with a yellow card early in the encounter for failing to release the ball.
When Arundell returned from the sin bin, he managed to score England’s first try, benefiting from a timely pass from George Ford. However, his day was cut short as he received a second yellow card for a dangerous challenge just before half-time, resulting in a 20-minute red card that left England to fight on with 14 players during a pivotal phase of the match.
Scotland’s victory was a welcome relief for head coach Gregor Townsend, who had been under scrutiny following a narrow loss to Italy the previous week. With this win, Scotland has now claimed the Calcutta Cup on seven occasions out of the last nine meetings with England. Huw Jones secured his brace early in the second half after capitalizing on a charge down, culminating in a performance that proved overwhelmingly assertive.
While Ben Earl’s late consolation try for England, which Ford converted, added a small measure of pride, it ultimately highlighted the stark difference in team dynamics on the day.
Perhaps what the match illustrates most clearly is the unpredictable nature of sport; how past triumphs can dissipate against the backdrop of rivalry, reminding fans that fortune can turn in a heartbeat. A true spectacle of sport often lies in the moments when expectation meets reality, and yesterday, Scotland made sure that expectation belonged to them.
