I watched Scotland 31-20 England from the press box: here are 3 takeaways from incredible Six Nations win
Evening News spots editor Martyn Simpson’s biggest talking points as Gregor Townsend’s side regain the Calcutta Cup.
The Calcutta Cup is back where it belongs and Scotland’s 2026 Six Nations campaign is up and running after the disappointment of their round one defeat in Rome.
The hosts struck with big moments in the match that both shifted the momentum in their favour and lifted the Murrayfield crowd out of their seats to bring the noise. A final score of 31-10 and a bonus point in the bag will give the team a huge confidence boost for the rest of the competition with title ambitions back alive - for now at least.
There were plenty of big moments in the match as well as selection calls and tactical choices to note. Here are my three key talking points from Scotland’s excellent win:
1. Another elite performance from Scotland’s backs but cause for concern at scrum time
One area where Scotland were very much second best was at scrum time with England picking up multiple penalties at the set piece. Nathan McBeth and Zander Fagerson struggled at the start and Pierre Schoeman and Elliot Millar-Mills were also second best against the starting England props - but showed up better vs their replacements.
There was a big moment under their own posts where the Scotland scrum held firm and they even managed to win a scrum penalty towards the end of the match. Despite that though, this game was won by the brilliance of the backs and the hard yards from the forwards in open play.
Scotland know they have a back line that can go up against any team in world rugby but not having the same strength and quality in depth in the single digit numbers will always hold them back. Had they matched England at the scrum the final scoreline could have been a demolition job for Gregor Townsend’s men.
Speaking of the head coach...
2. Important win for Townsend after calls to resign but Scotland must back it up this tournament
Gregor Townsend has already lost the backing of many Scotland fans and that number significantly increased following last week’s defeat in Rome. For him, this was more ‘must not lose’ than ‘must win’.
This win in isolation does little to restore belief that he should remain in post after the tournament but had he been beaten then it really feels like there would have been no way back. It’s about what comes next.
The title can still be won and victory over Wales next week put’s them in contention for the Triple Crown when they head to Dublin for their final match next month. If they could achieve that while also remaining in the mix to win the championship in the final weekend then that would put a huge amount of credit back in his bank.
3. Wingers justify selection as club form makes way to international stage
Jamie Dobie and Kyle Steyn could not make any impact against Italy. last week. How much difference a week can make though.
Dobie has been showing his threat with ball in hand for Glasgow Warriors all season and we finally got to see that on the big stage for his country against England. As for Steyn, I can safely say he is one of the very best defensive wingers in world rugby.
The aerial battle is pivotal in the modern test game and it’s the main reason why the Glasgow captain is getting the nod ahead of Duhan van der Merwe. He’s incredibly rounded as a player and his Man of the Match award was thoroughly deserved even with Huw Jones crossing twice and Finn Russell putting in another masterclass.