Scotland vs England: Townsend Urges Calm Amidst Calcutta Cup Chaos

Scotland coach Gregor Townsend says his team must remain calm amidst the chaos of the Calcutta Cup clash against England.

England and Scotland are set to clash in a crucial Six Nations matchup at Twickenham on Saturday, with the outcome potentially deciding the fate of their respective campaigns. Both teams have a record of one win and one loss after two fixtures.

A victory for either side is crucial, as a second loss would likely end their championship hopes, especially with unbeaten Ireland favored to continue their winning streak against struggling Wales. England is looking to build on their dramatic 26-25 win over France, which snapped a seven-game losing streak against top-tier opponents. Scotland, on the other hand, is seeking to bounce back from a 32-18 defeat to Ireland.

England attack coach Richard Wigglesworth emphasized the importance of consistency in performance, saying, “We don't want to be a team that has to react to get a performance you want. The best teams find a way of getting better and getting results and it will be a big test for us this weekend to make sure we take the next step.”

Wigglesworth, a former Red Rose scrum-half, reflected on England's 30-21 loss to Scotland last year, stating, “We made a huge amount of errors in that game which happens in a game of rugby, but they were errors that were unlike us. They were tentative errors and that is not what we wanted to be.”

Scotland, fresh from a warm-weather training camp in Spain, is aiming for a fifth consecutive win over England in what is rugby union's oldest international fixture, dating back to 1871. The team has been boosted by the availability of co-captain Finn Russell, who suffered a concussion against Ireland. However, dashing wing Darcy Graham has failed to recover in time and will be replaced by Kyle Rowe in a talented back-line that also features Scotland record try-scorer Duhan van der Merwe.

A great week of prep 👊#AsOne pic.twitter.com/Qbv4K9ghNK

— Scottish Rugby (@Scotlandteam) February 21, 2025

Scotland coach Gregor Townsend commented on the team's past performances against England, saying, “They've been really good games, I think they've been open and when they have been open your 10 (fly-half) has got a big role to play in that.” The match is expected to be a closely contested one, with England head coach Steve Borthwick likely to have taken note of Ireland's dominant performance against Scotland, particularly in the pack.

England, with Ollie Chessum partnering captain Maro Itoje in the second row in place of the injured George Martin, will aim to replicate their powerful scrummaging effort against France. Scotland coach Gregor Townsend anticipates a physical encounter, saying, “I'm sure they (England) will look to be as physical as possible. That's international rugby, especially Six Nations rugby.”

Townsend has made changes to his pack, recalling former captain Jamie Ritchie and prop Pierre Schoeman. England's fly-half Fin Smith, the son of Scottish parents, will look to build on his impressive first Test start against France. Marcus Smith will again play at full-back, rather than in his usual stand-off role. Townsend praised Marcus Smith's versatility, saying, “Marcus is a brilliant attacker, counter-attacker. But he's also a really good first receiver, so he can work in tandem with Fin, who is really competitive. He'll tackle, he'll carry. And he's a really good organiser of attacks. So they're dangerous with both those players.”

The preparation is done ✅
Now it’s time for action 👊 pic.twitter.com/AaJES57akr

— England Rugby (@EnglandRugby) February 21, 2025

The Calcutta Cup clash holds special significance for Scotland, with Townsend acknowledging, “It's the fixture our nation and supporters look forward to more than any other.” However, he also emphasized the need for composure, saying, “Maybe in the past...too much emotion came out. We have to be calm amongst the chaos, which there will be at times at the weekend.”