ENGLAND v SCOTLAND Calcutta Cup; 6 Nations International Championship

02.02.3013

Twickenham. The traditional ‘home’ of rugby
Image thanks to panaramio.com

Venue: Twickenham

Referee: Jaco Peyper (South Africa)

Preview
The Calcutta Cup is contested annually between the two nations who played in the first ever rugby test match back in 1871. England are the holders.

This England side has the distinction of achieving a rare feat; A victory by a Northern Hemisphere side over the All Blacks.

Scotland’s Autumn test rugby programme was nothing short of a disaster. Having worked their way through an arduous summer tour down south, which saw a historic win over Australia, Scottish rugby reached a new low with the loss to Tonga in November; An event that saw coach Andy Robinson walk.

Scotland are at a new beginning. Interim head coach Scott Johnson has introduced one new player in Sean Maitland but otherwise has stayed with much the same side that lost to South Africa in mid-November.

Last Five Encounters
04.02.2012 England 13-6 at Murrayfield (Calcutta Cup; 6 Nations)
01.10.2011 England 16-12 in Auckland (World Cup, Pool B)
13.02.2011 England 22-16 at Twickenham (Calcutta Cup; 6 Nations)
13.03.2010 Drawn 15-15 at Murrayfield (Calcutta Cup; 6 Nations)
21.03.2009 England 26-12 at Twickenham (Calcutta Cup; 6 Nations)

Scotland has not won at Twickenham since 1983.

England Last Five P 5, W 2, D 1, L 2
01.12.2012 v New Zealand W 38-21 at Twickenham
24.11.2012 v South Africa L15-16 at Twickenham
17.11.2012 v Australia L14-20 at Twickenham
10.11.2012 v Fiji W 54-12 at Twickenham
23.06.2012 v South Africa D 14-14 in Port Elizabeth

Scotland Last Five P 5, W 2, L 3
24.11.2012 v Tonga L 15-21 in Aberdeen
17.11.2012 v South Africa L 10-21 at Murrayfield
11.11.2012 v New Zealand L 22-51 at Murrayfield
16.06.2012 v Fiji W 37-25 in Suva
05.06.2012 v Australia W 9-6 in Newcastle

GWC Rugby Rankings
World Table-England 1st, Scotland 7th
Europe Table-England 2nd, Scotland 7th

IRB Ranking Points
England 83.90, Scotland 75.83

Prediction: England by 13 points

TEAMS

Scotland

15		Stuart Hogg	Glasgow Warriors
14		Sean Maitland
13		Sean Lamont	Glasgow Warriors
12		Mathew Scott	Edinburgh Rugby
11		Timothy Visser	Edinburgh Rugby
10		Ruaridh Jackson	Glasgow Warriors
9		Greig Laidlaw	Edinburgh Rugby
8		John Beattie	Montpellier, France
7		Kelly Brown (Capt.)	Saracens, England
6		Alasdair Strokosch	Perpignan, France
5		James Hamilton	Gloucester, England
4		Richard Gray	Sale Sharks, England
3		Euan Murray	Worcester Warriors, England
2		Ross Ford	Edinburgh Rugby
1		Ryan Grant	Glasgow Warriors
16		Ross Ford	Edinburgh Rugby
17		Moray Low	Glasgow Warriors
18		Geoffrey Cross	Edinburgh Rugby
19		Alastair Kellock	Glasgow Warriors
20		David Denton	Edinburgh Rugby
21		Henry Pyrgos	Glasgow Warriors
22		Duncan Weir	Glasgow Warriors
23		Max Evans	Castres, France
		HEAD COACH: Scott Johnson (Interim)

England

15		Alexander Goode	Saracens
14		Christopher Ashton	Saracens
13		Bradley Barrit	Saracens
12		William Twelvetrees	Gloucester Rugby
11		Michael Brown	London Harlequins
10		Owen Farrell	Saracens
9		Benjamin Youngs	Leicester Tigers
8		Benjamin Morgan	Gloucester Rugby
7		Christopher Robshaw (Capt.)	London Harlequins
6		Thomas Wood	Northampton Saints
5		Geoffrey Parling	Leicester Tigers
4		Joseph Launchbury	London Wasps
3		Daniel Cole	Leicester Tigers
2		Thomas Youngs	Leicester Tigers
1		Joseph Marler	London Harlequins
16		Dylan Hartley	Northampton Saints
17		David Wilson	Bath Rugby
18		Mako Vunipola	Saracens
19		Courtney Lawes	Northampton Saints
20		James Haskell	London Wasps
21		Daniel Care	London Harlequins
22		Tobias Flood	Leicester Tigers
23		David Strettle	Saracens
		HEAD COACH: Stuart Lancaster