Scotland edge England 20-17 in opening Six Nations game as thousands flock to Murrayfield
Scotland edge England 20-17 in opening Six Nations game as thousands flock to Murrayfield for the first time since lifting of Covid restrictions
Scotland beat England 20-17 in the openeing Six Nations game today at Murrayfield in EdinburghIt is the first time Scotland have retained the Calcutta Cup against England in almost 40 years, since 1984Thousands of rugby fans flocked to the Scottish stadium for the first time since Covid rules liftedAt the break Scotland were up 10-6 with England facing a tough task against their Calcutta Cup foes With the loss, England waves goodbye to their dream of a Grand Slam this afternoon as the Six Nations start
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Scotland won the grudge match against England today with a fine 20-17 win, crushing the English dream of a Grand Slam.
Thousands of rugby fans flocked to Murrayfield, Edinburgh, for the first time since the lifting of Covid restrictions to watch the two nations battle it out.
At the break Scotland were up 10-6 with Eddie Jones‘ England side facing a tough task against their Calcutta Cup foes.
Scottish hopes of a Grand Slam this afternoon are still alive after the first match of their Six Nations campaign. It is the first time Scotland have retained the Calcutta Cup since 1984.
After the match, Scotland’s Matt Fagerson said the win was down to the hard work of the team. ‘It shows the heart of the boys to bring it home in the end,’ he told BBC Sport.
Meanwhile, England captain Tom Curry, who was leading his team for the first time, said it was an ‘up down, up down’ game. ‘We need to reflect and do better ourselves,’ he added.
Marcus Smith led England’s attack from fly-half as England picked a mobile, exciting team.
No 8 Sam Simmonds is making his first England start for four years in Saturday’s Six Nations opener against Scotland.
Simmonds has been selected ahead of rival Alex Dombrandt, in a new-look back-row featuring Lewis Ludlam and stand-in skipper Tom Curry.
Injuries have forced Eddie Jones to name an unfamiliar looking team for the Calcutta Cup, with lock Nick Isiekwe also making his first Test start since 2018, alongside Maro Itoje.
‘As the first game, this match is hugely important to both sides and we will both want to get off to a winning start,’ said Jones.
‘We have a good, young team but we understand the task ahead and we’ll be ready to go after it from the first kick.
‘Tom Curry will captain the side for this game and has the respect of the team around him, in Owen and Courtney’s absence. He also has the support of the vice captains and other leaders in the team such as Maro Itoje and Ben Youngs.
‘We have prepared really well for this game. We’ve had a number of obstacles thrown at us, but we’ve overcome them as a more together group and we’re looking forward to getting started.’
As revealed by Sportsmail, Elliot Daly will start in the centres alongside Henry Slade.
Ben Youngs and Marcus Smith will maintain their half-back combination from the autumn, with George Ford providing cover from the bench.
And Joe Marchant has returned a negative Covid test to start on the wing, alongside Max Malins and Freddie Steward.
Ben White of Scotland lifts the Calcutta Cup with teammates after the Guinness Six Nations match between Scotland and England
Scotland saw off an attempted comeback by a skillful English side to win the Calcutta Cup 20-17, after they also led at half-time
Stuart Hogg of Scotland celebrates in front of the Scottish faithful after his side’s victory against old rivals England
England came close to levelling the match in the dying stages but were unable to grab the points needed even for a draw
Marcus Smith and George Ford of England react after the Guinness Six Nations match between Scotland and England at BT Murrayfield Stadium
Maro Itoje of England wins the ball in the lineout during the Guinness Six Nations match between Scotland and England
A young boy with his face painted with the Scottish flag showed where his allegiance lay ahead of the crunch match
Scotland’s Ben White scores their first try that led to the home side going into the half-time break up against their rivals
Scotland’s Ben White (centre) celebrates scoring their side’s first try during the Six Nations match
The scrum prepares during the first half of the Calcutta Cup grudge match between Scotland and England
An England fan in Bristol shouts and stands up while watching Scotland against England at a pub today
The game comes after First Minister Nicola Sturgeon left Scotland’s Covid measures unchanged, telling Holyrood a ‘significant fall’ in infection levels the country has seen in recent weeks had now ‘levelled off’.
Scottish schoolchildren will have to wear masks in class for at least another week, Nicola Sturgeon told parents.
The country axed working from home rules and limits on gatherings a week ago.
Scottish Conservative leader Douglas Ross said: ‘Even though the Covid data is very positive, the SNP Government are still insisting on the use of face masks in schools.
‘Adults can be in pubs without a mask but young people are having their education held back by being forced to wear one in the classroom.
‘The First Minister says no one wants young people to have to wear masks in class for a moment longer than necessary, so just what needs to happen for her government to finally remove this requirement?’
However, she told Holyrood that overall the ‘most recent data continues to give grounds for optimism’, with the First Minister saying that ‘the situation we are in now is much less severe than we had thought it might be’.
She added that the fall in cases over the first three weeks of January was ‘now reflected in a fall in the number of people being admitted to hospital’.
Last week, 602 patients with Covid were admitted to hospital, down from 768 in the week ending January 21.
The latest figures also showed 1,177 people in hospital have Covid – down from 1,394 a week ago – with the number in intensive care also decreasing.
Ms Sturgeon, speaking the day after a relaxation of the requirement for home working, told MSPs: ‘We can continue to be optimistic, as we look ahead to spring.
‘Case levels are likely to remain high for some time – and may increase further as a result of the recent easing of protections.
‘But there are good grounds for confidence that we are again entering a calmer phase of the pandemic.’
Maro Itoje of England beats Grant Gilchrist of Scotland in the lineout during the Guinness Six Nations match between Scotland and England
England huddle during the Guinness Six Nations match today in a cold evening in the Scottish capital
Scotland fans showed their support during the first half, wrapped up warm with scarves and flags tied around their necks
England’s full-back Freddie Steward jumps to claim a high ball during the first half, which saw the away side dominate posession
The Six Nations has made a bold move to attract younger fans by signing a four-year partnership with social media giants TikTok.
Investors CVC have been heavily involved in the ‘game-changing’ deal, which will span the men’s and women’s competitions, as well as the autumn internationals.
TikTok will become a title sponsor for the women’s competition and the company will use its short-form video platform to promote rugby content to its one billion active monthly users.
Rugby has an ageing fanbase and the move could help it tap into the ‘TikTok Generation’ of 18-24-year-olds, who reportedly spend seven hours a week on TikTok.
Six Nations CEO Ben Morel said: ‘There are a lot of areas that can be developed as we target a younger audience and get them interested, whether it’s playing or following international or club rugby.
‘The significance of our partnership with TikTok cannot be overstated. The first title partner in the history of the Women’s Six Nations Championship, TikTok shares our ambitions. Complementing this is the collective aim of giving the sport a global shop window to reach new fans and put the women’s game in front of more people.’
However, regardless of the statistics, the home side came out on top in the first half, leading the way at 10-6
A woman in a hat and Scottish rugby jersey shouts her support for the home side while holding up a Scottish flag
This youngster braved the bitterly cold weather without even a hat to keep him warm as he watched the match
England’s Tom Curry gestures during the first half, which saw the away side see themselves second best
Scotland players line up to sing the Flower of Scotland ahead of the old rivalry between Scotland and England
Meanwhile, England’s team also lined up in the eastern Scotland evening to sing the national anthem of God Save The Queen
A Scotland fan cheers during the Guinness Six Nations match between Scotland and England at BT Murrayfield Stadium
England’s Marcus Smith celebrates scoring their first try in the second half as the away side tried to mount a comeback
Marcus Smith of England celebrates with Elliot Daly and Luke Cowan-Dickie of England after scoring his side’s first try
Scotland’s Jamie Ritchie goes off injured on a motorised stretcher during the Six Nations match at BT Murrayfield, Edinburgh
England’s Luke Cowan-Dickie receives medical attention after sustaining an injury during action on the field
There were more than a few dejected faces from the England team as it became more clear Scotland were edging the match
Scotland’s Duhan van der Merwe is tackled by England’s Elliot Daly during the Six Nations rugby union match
Scotland’s Finn Russell scores a penalty kick during the Six Nations match that finished with a fine win for the home side
England’s Marcus Smith scores a conversion during the Six Nations match at BT Murrayfield, Edinburgh
The Six Nations have been experiencing growing tension with World Rugby, which has been making attempts to unite the sport around a global character.
The Six Nations’ deal with commercial partners CVC contains a clause preventing the private equity firm selling on their stake to World Rugby.
The stipulation in the contract, which will see CVC pay £365million over five years for 14 per cent of the competition’s commercial rights, shows the split in the sport’s leadership and governance, and the Six Nations’ determination to retain control of rugby in Europe.
They were pushing a new 12-team Nations Championship two years ago, which collapsed after the Six Nations baulked at the idea of promotion and relegation into their own competition despite the dismal efforts of Italy, who have not won in seven years.
World Rugby want to revive the concept after next year’s World Cup, but the Six Nations-CVC deal shows hostility lingers from negotiations two years ago.
