SCOTLAND v ENGLAND: 6 Nations and Calcutta Cup

14.03.2015

The Calcutta Cup. Image thanks to rugbynetwork.net

Venue: Twickenham

Referee: Romain Poite (France)

Preview
Just when both these teams looked to be humming along nicely they both stumbled at a hurdle in the previous round of the 6 Nations Championship. England were battered by a better side in Dublin and Scotland played the game to forget in losing to Italy.

England lost against Ireland due to lack of experience and so many penalties, all under pressure. Today they will need to lift their game and get their World Cup plans back on track.

Scotland have three losses from three games. They desperately need to win today otherwise that wooden spoon is getting closer.

Last Five Encounters
08.02.2014 England 20-0 at Murrayfield (6 Nations; Calcutta Cup)
02.02.2013 England 38-18 at Twickenham (6 Nations; Calcutta Cup)
04.02.2012 England 13-6 at Murrayfield (6 Nations; Calcutta Cup)
01.10.2011 England 16-12 in Auckland (World Cup, Pool B)
13.03.2011 England 22-16 at Twickenham (6 Nations; Calcutta Cup)

Scotland last defeated England in 2008 when they won 15-9 at Murrayfield. They last won at Twickenham way back 1983 when they won 22-12 and the then 5 Nations Championship.

Scotland Last Five P 5, W 1, L 4
28.02.2015 v Italy L 19-22 at Murrayfield (6 Nations)
14.02.2015 v Wales L 23-26 at Murrayfield (6 Nations)
07.02.2015 v France L 8-15 in Paris (6 Nations)
22.11.2014 v Tonga W 37-12 at Kilmarnock
15.11.2014 v New Zealand L 16-24 at Murrayfield

England Last Five P 5, W 3, L 2
01.03.2015 v Ireland L 9-19 in Dublin (6 Nations)
14.02.2015 v Italy W 47-17 at Twickenham (6 Nations)
06.02.2015 v Wales W 21-16 in Cardiff (6 Nations)
22.11.2014 v Samoa W 28-9 at Twickenham
15.11.2014 v South Africa L 28-31 at Twickenham

GWC Rugby Rankings
World Table: England 2nd, Scotland 6th
Europe Table: England 2nd, Scotland 6th

World Rugby Ranking Points
England 85.11, Scotland 75.22

Prediction: England by 21 points.

TEAMS

England
15 Michael Brown, 14 Anthony Watson, 13 Jonathan Joseph, 12 Luther Burrell, 11 Jack Nowell, 10 George Ford, 9 Benjamin Youngs, 8 William Vunipola,
7 Chris Robshaw,Capt, 6 James Haskell, 5 Courtney Lawes, 4 David Attwood, 3 Daniel Cole, 2 Dylan Hartley, 1 Joseph Marler.
Replacements
16 Thomas Youngs, 17 Mako Vunipola, 18 Kieran Brookes,
19 Geoffrey Parling, 20 Thomas Wood, 21 Richard Wigglesworth, 22 Daniel Cipriani, 23 William Twelvetrees

Head Coach: Stuart Lancaster

Scotland
15 Stuart Hogg, 14 DouglasFife, 13 Mark Bennett, 12 Matthew Scott,
11 Thomas Seymour, 10 Finn Russell, 9 Greig Laidlaw, 8 David Denton, 7 Blair Cowan, 6 Robert Harley, 5 Jonathan Gray, 4 James Hamilton, 3 Euan Murray, 2 Ross Ford, 1 Alasdair Dickinson.
Replacements
16 Fraser Brown, 17 Ryan Grant, 18 Geoffrey Cross, 19 Timothy Swinson,
20 John Beattie, 21 Adam Ashe, 22 Samuel Hidalgo-Clyne, 23 Greig Tonks.

Head Coach: Vern Cotter