Six Nations 2014: Scotland plan to ambush England in Murrayfield"s muddy ...

Saturday evening will be a test of their resolve, their aptitude and their

nerve.

They are ready for all manner of mishaps, dirty tricks contrived by the hosts

or aspects within the run of the game.

“A couple of the famous Scotland wins over England have been when it has been

raining and like trench warfare so we would take that,” Matt Taylor, the

Scotland defence coach, said.

“I certainly think it might level things up. It makes running rugby a bit

harder. It will be a leveller.

“It has been raining, it will be muddy. Our boys will relish that.

“A couple of the boys have already said that if it is wet, that’s going

to be great.

“It suits the Scottish psyche. They get stuck in.”

England have to show that they themselves have the fortitude as a rugby power

to strike out and make a significant statement about their own future

credibility.

Their defeat in Paris last weekend has had a slick varnish of gloss applied to

it. The loss can be explained away, in certain circles at any rate.

There is no such get-out clause available in Edinburgh, even allowing for the

pitch.

This is an absolute must-win fixture for England. There are no caveats, no

excuses, no taking easy refuge in the mantra that performance rather than

results matter.

If England are to have a vibrant future, it has to be confirmed on Saturday.

If the 2015 Rugby

World Cup is to hold real prospects for them, their credentials have

to be displayed in full at Murrayfield. England have to be bold and assured.

The filthy weather that is forecast might temper their sense of adventure but

it can be no mitigation for a loss.

The gluey, scruffy pitch might also impair the flow but it cannot be allowed

to impact on their approach.

It is not as if mud is some sort of alien intruder to the winter game.

Rugby is as much a game for pit ponies as it is for thoroughbreds.

“The pitch isn’t the best,” Andy Farrell, the England backs coach, said,

struggling to find a diplomatic response.

“It does look like Horse Guards Parade in parts and the pitch does come away

with your footing.

“Let’s hope the scrum can stay away from those parts.”

The squad received a text from Will Carling, the former England captain, on

Friday which read “Remember 1990”, reprising the painful lesson for that

generation when the slow walk of Scotland captain David Sole roused

Murrayfield and a Grand Slam was denied.

“We need warriors out there for these are feisty contests when form goes out

of the window,” Farrell said.

“There is always a circus round this game. If something out of the box does

happen, you’ve got to laugh it off.

“If you let it wind you up, it will become a distraction.”

Much as the pipes may skirl and the cannons boom from the stadium rooftops

there are no demons to spook England.

Scotland have won only three times in the past 25 matches against England.

The mythology is far more frightening than the reality. Defeat would be a

major setback to Lancaster’s grand design.

The head coach has conceded as much. He acknowledges that he arrives here in a

wholly different frame of mind to that he had when he was contemplating his

first game in charge two years ago.

As far as he was concerned, he was only the interim head coach at that time

and was going to hand over in March. He had a free hit, a no-pressure game.

In keeping with the recent tone of this fixture at Murrayfield, the 2012 match

was a stop-start affair, won by a charge-down try from Charlie Hodgson, the

first try in the match since 2004.

England have to show much more than that scuffled effort.

There has to be the same sense of fluency and purpose that characterised much

of their attacking play at the Stade de France.

They have to be upbeat and strident, using the power of Luther Burrell in the

line as well as the pace of Jonny May.

The Gloucester wing, with his broken nose, can reasonably expect to see more

than six minutes action this week.

England will be tested by the Scots, who always relish these occasions to

grasp at every last remaining cliché and stereotype in the kingdom to rev

themselves up for the battle against the auld enemy.

Much of it is pantomime theatricals, faux Braveheart shtick.

Far more challenging for England is the substance of this Scotland team: from

the trickery of Stuart Hogg at the rear, to the coalface grunt of Ross Ford

and Ryan Grant in the front row through to the clattering David Denton at No 

8.

These men, and their pals alongside, can cause England issues. But nothing

that ought to be beyond a side of their recent form.

Scotland were thumped by Ireland

last weekend in Dublin, despite their traditional battling opening.

Guts will take you only so far: gumption is what makes the difference. That,

and a cutting edge.

Scotland lost one of their precious assets to injury in Sean Maitland, the Lions

wing, and although Matt Scott has been restored to inside centre, their

strike-power looks severely limited.

Dropping Kelly Brown, the captain, for rookie open side Chris Fusaro is either

a stroke of genius or madness. “Surprised,” was Farrell’s reaction.

England ought to be a dozen points better, as they should have been in Paris

on the run of play.

There is many a slip between potential and delivery. England have to bridge

that gap.

Their forward pack will have to subdue their opponents, always a prelude at

Murrayfield to anything more open plan.

“Scotland always make everything a fight,” Dan Cole, the England tight head

prop, said, mindful that he has to help produce a much more accomplished

scrummage performance.

“It usually comes down to who wants it more.”

England have ample motivation. Not even a quagmire should be able to deny

them.

——————————————————————————————-

Scotland v England, Murrayfield, Saturday, 5pm. Live on BBC ONE

Scotland: S Hogg (Glasgow); T Seymour (Glasgow), A Dunbar (Glasgow), M

Scott (Edinburgh), S Lamont (Glasgow); D Weir (Glasgow), G Laidlaw

(Edinburgh, capt); R Grant (Glasgow), R Ford (Edinburgh), M Low (Glasgow), T

Swinson (Glasgow), J Hamilton (Montpellier), R Wilson (Glasgow), C Fusaro

(Glasgow), D Denton (Edinburgh). Replacements: S Lawson (Newcastle),

A Dickinson (Edinburgh), G Cross (Edinburgh), J Gray (Glasgow), J Beattie

(Montpellier), C Cusiter (Glasgow), D Taylor (Saracens), M Evans (Castres).

England: M Brown (Harlequins); J Nowell (Exeter), L Burrell

(Northampton), B Twelvetrees (Gloucester), J May (Gloucester); O Farrell

(Saracens), D Care (Harlequins); J Marler (Harlequins), D Hartley

(Northampton), D Cole (Leicester), J Launchbury (Wasps), C Lawes

(Northampton), T Wood (Northampton), C Robshaw (Harlequins, capt), B

Vunipola (Saracens). Replacements: T Youngs (Leicester), M Vunipola

(Saracens), H Thomas (Sale Sharks), D Attwood (Bath), B Morgan (Gloucester),

L Dickson (Northampton), B Barritt (Saracens), A Goode (Saracens).

Referee: Jerome Garces (France).

Assistant referees: George Clancy (Ireland) and Mike Fraser (New

Zealand).

Article source: http://www.espnscrum.com/wales/rugby/story/203577.html

Six Nations 2014: Scotland plan to ambush England in Murrayfield"s muddy ...