There’s a classic Calcutta Cup tie in the making this weekend with an undefeated English side taking on a Scotland outfit that beat them 23-29 at Twickenham last season. Darry Worthington previews.
2024 Six Nations – Scotland v England
Saturday 24 February 2024 – 16:45
Murrayfield
A packed Murrayfield will bear witness to one of the most eagerly-anticipated editions of the Calcutta Cup in recent years when Scotland face off against England on Saturday.
Scotland 4/7 | Draw 22/1 | Englan 13/8
Handicap
Scotland (-4.5) 9/10 | England (+4.4) 9/10
You have to feel for Scotland after their controversial defeat at the hands of France in the second round. Having put in an almighty shift against Les Bleus and scored one of the tries of the tournament, the Scots got themselves over the French line as the game went into the first minute of extra time.
An on-field call of held-up from the referee and then a check from the TMO led to an absolute howler with the TMO declaring he could see the ball grounded, he didn’t have enough evidence to overturn the on-field decision.
While Scotland fans will feel aggrieved, the players only really have themselves to blame. The game was theirs for the taking but poor finishing would ultimately cost them. It was almost a similar story in their opening clash against Wales. Gregor Townend’s men had taken a massive lead into the half-time break but were made to sweat courtesy of a second-half onslaught from the Dragons.
And while the Scots did manage to hold out for a 26-27 win, it was a needlessly nerve-wracking experience that should have never been.
Scotland fans will be hoping for a less complicated victory this weekend but it’s unlikely as for all England’s faults, they have shown they can stay in games over the past six months.
That was the case in England’s opener where they managed to just sneak a win beating Italy 24-27 at the Stadio Olimpico. They again played with fire in their second fixture and trailed the Welsh headed into the break. They would ultimately come back into the game and go on to win it 16-14 which kept their unbeaten record intact.
In terms of team news for this one, England will be without scrumhalf Alex Mitchell who has suffered a knee injury. The evergreen Danny Care will probably crack the nod at 9, and with Marcus Smith still out it’s likely Care will be joined in the halves by experienced campaigner George Ford. There is some good news for English fans, however, with Manu Tuilangi back in their training squad.
On the Scottish side of things, Luke Crosbie and Richie Grey will take no part having been ruled out of the tournament at the start of the month while Josh Bayliss, Javan Sebastian and Ross McCann are out for at least the weekend. It’s not all doom and gloom for the Scots, however, with experienced campaigners WP Nel and Hamish Watson back in the training squad.
Verdict: Scotland (-4.5) 9/10
I reckon the Scots will take this one. England have hardly impressed this term and the ‘Scots have had their number in recent years.
