What a day. What a performance. What a rivalry. On a crisp Valentine’s Day afternoon at Scottish Gas Murrayfield, Gregor Townsend’s Scotland side delivered a statement that will echo through the rugby world for months to come. In front of a raucous crowd of 67,144 – every last one of them in full voice from the first whistle – the men in navy blue dismantled Steve Borthwick’s England with a display of flair, ferocity, and unyielding defence. The final score? Scotland 31-20 England. The Calcutta Cup is back where it belongs, and Scotland sit proudly atop the 2026 Guinness Six Nations table.
This wasn’t just a win; it was a exorcism. After a chastening opening weekend defeat to Italy in Rome, the whispers of doubt were silenced in the most emphatic fashion. England arrived in Edinburgh riding a 12-match unbeaten streak, fresh from a demolition of Wales, and with dreams of a Grand Slam still flickering. By the time the final whistle blew, that streak was in tatters, their discipline in ruins, and their Murrayfield hoodoo – now stretching back years – firmly intact. For Scotland, it was the perfect riposte: four tries to two, a bonus-point victory, and a reminder to the entire championship that when the thistle blooms at home, few can match us.
The Build-Up
The week had been one of quiet steel in the Scottish camp. Captain Sione Tuipulotu had spoken of the “desperation” in the squad after that Rome setback, and Townsend’s men channelled it into a week of precision training. The team selection was bold yet balanced: a pack led by the indomitable Jamie Ritchie and Zander Fagerson, with the backline orchestrated by the maestro himself, Finn Russell. England, meanwhile, stuck with George Ford at 10 and a back three featuring the lightning-fast Henry Arundell. The stage was set under clear blue skies, the bagpipes swelling as the teams emerged. The Calcutta Cup – that gleaming symbol of 150 years of blood, sweat, and borderline warfare – gleamed in the stands.
From the outset, it was clear Scotland meant business. The opening exchanges were bruising, with both packs colliding like Highland stags in rut. But where England huffed and puffed, Scotland had the spark.
First Half: A Blitz That Left England Reeling
The tone was set in the very first minute. Tuipulotu’s probing grubber caught Alex Mitchell napping, and after a series of thunderous carries from the likes of Rory Darge and Scott Cummings, England failed to roll away. Finn Russell, cool as a Highland loch, slotted the penalty: 3-0.
Then came the first flashpoint. England’s Henry Arundell, already under scrutiny for a no-arms tackle on Luke Cowan-Dickie earlier, was yellow-carded for hands in the ruck during a Scottish attacking set. With the visitors down to 14, Scotland pounced. Russell, with a one-handed flick that defied physics, sent Huw Jones arcing around the lumbering Maro Itoje. Jones dotted down under the posts. Russell converted: 10-0. Murrayfield erupted.
The onslaught continued. From a lineout won by the tireless Ritchie, scrum-half Jamie Dobie fed an overlap. Tuipulotu, ever the leader, delivered a sumptuous long pass to Ritchie on the left flank. The flanker crashed over with the poise of a man who knows his moment. Russell’s boot made it 17-0 after just 15 minutes. England were shell-shocked.
They clawed one back on 21 minutes, Arundell ghosting onto Ford’s delayed pass to score in the corner. Ford converted: 17-7. A Ford penalty followed after Ritchie’s offside: 17-10. But Scotland were relentless. Russell’s deft chip through the defensive line was fumbled by a hapless Ellis Genge under pressure from Ben White. The scrum-half pounced, grounding the ball for try number three. Russell nailed the touchline conversion: 24-10 at the break.
The half’s defining moment came in the dying seconds. Arundell, already sin-binned, took out Kyle Steyn in the air contesting a high ball. Referee Marius van der Westhuizen had no choice: a second yellow, upgraded to red. England would play the second half with 14 men for 20 minutes. The crowd sensed blood.
Second Half: Defence, Desire, And A 60-Metre Masterstroke
England, to their credit, came out swinging. Ford clipped over a penalty after Zander Fagerson was penalised at scrum: 24-13. But Scotland’s lineout, marshalled by the immovable Scott Cummings, held firm, and the maul was repelled time and again.
The game was sealed on 53 minutes in a moment of pure Scottish rugby genius. Ford, sensing an opening, shaped for a drop goal. But Matt Fagerson – on for the injured Ritchie – charged it down like a man possessed. The loose ball squirted free, and Huw Jones scooped it up. With the entire England backline in disarray, Jones sprinted 60 metres, untouched, to score his second. Russell converted from the right touchline: 31-13. Game over. Calcutta Cup secured.
England threw everything at us in the closing stages. Replacements flooded on – Bevan Rodd, Alex Coles, Jamie George, Henry Pollock – and they battered away for phases. But Scotland’s defence was a wall of blue steel. Darcy Graham’s try-saving tackle on Freddie Steward was the stuff of legends, and when Ben Earl finally burrowed over for a consolation try on 77 minutes (Ford converted), it barely raised a murmur from the stands. Russell, ever the showman, hoofed the restart into the Edinburgh night. 31-20. The roar that followed could have been heard in Glasgow.
The Heroes: Russell Reigns Supreme
This was a team effort, but some shone brighter than the Murrayfield floodlights.
- Finn Russell (Man of the Match contender): The conductor. A penalty, four conversions, that flick pass, the chip for White’s try, and endless orchestration. At 34, he’s playing like a man half his age. Pure genius.
- Huw Jones: Two tries, including that length-of-the-field sprint. He’s made a habit of tormenting England – this was his latest chapter.
- Jamie Ritchie: Try-scorer, lineout king, and a pack leader even in injury. His knee knock took the gloss off, but what a shift.
- Ben White: Alert and clinical for his try. Fourth in five against the Auld Enemy.
- Kyle Steyn: Guinness Player of the Match. Involved in everything – attack, defence, and that aerial duel that cost Arundell dear. A warrior.
- The Pack: Zander Fagerson, Scott Cummings, Rory Darge, and the Fager sons – Matt’s charge-down was the turning point. They outfought a dominant English scrum and won the breakdown battle.
For England? Arundell’s two cards summed up a sloppy afternoon. Ford kicked well but couldn’t spark creativity. Borthwick’s men were out-thought and out-muscled. Their 12-game streak? Gone in 80 minutes of Murrayfield magic.
