RUGBY WORLD CUP: England v Scotland, Pool B

01.10.2011

Venue: Eden Park, Auckland

Referee: Craig Joubert (South Africa)

Preview
Both teams have everything to play for. The winner will most certainly go onto the quarter finals. The loser packs bags and goes home.

This is a special match at this Rugby World Cup Finals. This is the first time that the two original nations in the first test back in 1871 have played in this tournament. They have locked horns many times down the years and a clash between them is a local derby-fierce and unforgiving.

The same situation is here at Eden Park. Its win or go home. England has the slightly better record at this tournament. Neither side has really fired but Scotland has struggled the most. At times they have been simply dreadful, winning narrowly against both Romania and Georgia.

But a clash between these two nations can change all of that. I expect a close hard fought tussle with England just squeaking past.

Last Five Encounters
13.02.2011 England 22-16 at Twickenham (6 Nations; Calcutta Cup)
13.03.2010 Drawn 15-15 at Murrayfield (6 Nations; Calcutta Cup)
21.03.2009 England 26-12 at Twickenham (6 Nations; Calcutta Cup)
08.03.2008 Scotland 15-9 at Murrayfield (6 Nations; Calcutta Cup)
03.02.2007 England 42-20 at Twickenham (6 Nations; Calcutta Cup)

England This World Cup
10.09.2011 v Argentina W 13-9 in Dunedin
18.09.2011 v Georgia W 41-10 in Dunedin
24.09.2011 v Romania W 67-3 in Dunedin

Scotland This World Cup
10.09.2011 v Romania W 34-24 in Invercargill
14.09.2011 v Georgia W 15-6 in Dunedin
25.09.2011 v Argentina L 12-13 in Wellington

GWC Rugby Rankings
World Table-Scotland 6th, England 8th
Europe Table-Scotland 1st, Europe 5th

IRB Ranking Points
England 83.99, Scotland 76.76

Prediction:England by 7

Teams

 

England
15 Benjamin Foden, 14 Christopher Ashton, 13 Manu Tuilagi, 12 Michael Tindall, 11 Delon Armitage, 10 Jonny Wilkinson, 9 Benjamin Youngs, 8 James Haskell, 7 Lewis Moody,Capt. 6 Thomas Croft, 5 Courtney Lawes, 4 Louis Deacon, 3 Daniel Cole, 2 Steven Thompson, 1 Matthew Stevens.
Replacements
16 Dylan Hartley, 17 Alexander Corbisiero, 18 Thomas Palmer, 19 Nicholas Easter, 20 Richard Wigglesworth, 21 Tobias Flood, 22 Matthew Banahan.
Head Coach: Martin Johnson

Scotland
15 Christopher Paterson, 14 Max Evans, 13 Joseph Ansbro, 12 Sean Lamont, 11 Simon Danielli, 10 Ruaridh Jackson, 9 Michael Blair, 8 Richard Vernon,
7 John Barclay, 6 Allistair Strokosch, 5 Alastair Kellock,Capt. 4 Richard Gray, 3 Euan Murray, 2 Ross Ford, 1 Allan Jacobsen.
Replacements
16 Scott Lawson, 17 Alasdair Dickinson, 18 Nathan Hines, 19 Ross Rennie,
20 Christopher Cusiter, 21 Daniel Parks, 22 Nicholas de Luca.
Head Coach: Andy Robinson