5 hours ago
5
Key events Show key events only Please turn on JavaScript to use this feature
Our regular contributor Guy Hornsby has been in touch:
Afternoon Daniel. A cracker in Dublin and now it’s Murrayfield, where I can’t see England getting done, BUT 10% of me is waiting to get an almighty slap of hubris in my face. Scotland have been much less than the sum of their parts and England are as cohesive as they’ve been in a decade. But if Scotland are up for any game, it’s this one. It’s a proper Test, and nothing would signal the burgeoning strength of this England team then a no bother win. The bench will be crucial but George Ford is the key to all of it. Bring it on!
I’ve consulted the Opta supercomputer and it’s not looking good for the hosts.
The big numbers have been crunched and they point to a 31-16 win for England who have a 74.1% chance of leaving Edinburgh with a victory on the occasion of Gregor Townsend’s 100th game in charge of Scotland.
England have already beaten Scotland once today.
Though even that was closer than many might have predicted.
Daniel Gallan
Everything points to an English victory. Form, logic, reason, the laws of nature.
But none of that counts in this, does it? This is Scotland. This is Murrayfield. This is the land of bagpipes and tartan and haggis and all the other cliches that swirl around the discourse whenever the aul enemy have the temerity to roll up north and expect a triumph.
I’ll be honest. I can’t see Scotland winning this. But then how many times have we said that before?
Italy just gave Ireland a proper shock. Could Scotland flip the script and rally like those woad-painted warriors of old?
We’ll find out soon.
The teams
Scotland: Jordan, Steyn, Jones, Tuipulotu (c), Dobie, Russell, White; McBeth, Turner, Z Fagerson, Brown, Cummings, Ritchie, Darge, Dempsey.
Replacements: Cherry, Schoeman, Millar-Mills, Williamson, M Fagerson, Horne, Hastings, Graham.
England: Steward, Roebuck, Freeman, Dingwall, Arundell, Ford, Mitchell; Genge, Cowan-Dickie, Heyes, Itoje (c), Chessum, Pepper, Underhill, Earl.
Replacements: George, Rodd, Davison, Coles, T Curry, Pollock, Spencer, F Smith.
Preamble
Daniel will be here shortly. Until then, we’ve got plenty of preview material to pass the time before kick-off in this Calcutta Cup showdown.
