England v Scotland 6N Round 5 Saturday 16th March

First topic message reminder :

England v Scotland
6N Round 5
Saturday 16th March
Twickenham Stadium
London

KO 17.00

Well here we are at the final round of matches and three teams can still come out on top following Ireland's demolition of France this afternoon.

England have the advantage of playing last and will know what they have to do, if Wales have not already wrapped it up with a Grand Slam earlier in the afternoon. That actually might be Scotland's best chance of getting anything out of this game if England get distracted about what is going on else where, particularly if they find playing for second spot a distraction, knowing Wales have already wrapped things up.

On paper, this is only going to be an English win, the only question being by how much.

Scotland have had an awful championship, where just about everything that could have gone wrong. They are only playing for pride, but history tells us that sides that are done at this stage in the competition, rarely have anything left in the tank for the final game.

It is not as if Scotland have any form at Twickenham either, we have not won there since 1983 (did I ever mention that I was there!). We had had a crap season and no-one gave us much of a chance that year either if I remember, then the following year we won the GS. Can I see that happening this time though?

Only in my dreams!

So what do both sides hope to get from the game?

England clearly want a BP victory, some revenge for last year and hopefully a championship. They would also like to show the continued emergence of such players as Cockanasiga, who could be pivotal to them doing well in the WC.

Scotland, despite whatever spin they put on the game, might just be happy with a decent performance and continued development of some of our young starlets. We took another pile of injuries this weekend and getting a half decent competitive side onto the pitch is going to be a challenge in itself. Still, this exposure might be the making of young Hastings, Bradbury, Graham, McDowell, Skinner, Ritchie and anyone else who gets to play, down the line.

Test rugby is a hard old place to earn your living and they will likely be finding that out next weekend.



England


Daly, Nowell, Slade, Tuilagi, May; Farrell, Youngs; Moon, George, Sinckler, Launchbury, Kruis, Wilson, Curry, B Vunipola.

Replacements: Cowan-Dickie, Genge, Cole, Shields, Hughes, Spencer, Ford, Te'o



Scotland:

Maitland; Graham, Grigg, Johnson, McGuigan; Russell, Price; Dell, McInally (capt), Nel; Toolis, Gilchrist; Skinner, Watson, Bradbury.

Replacements: Brown, Reid, Berghan, J Gray, Strauss, Laidlaw, Hastings, Harris

Our defence is still a shambles!

Missed chance by England there ... although I'm not sure the ball went forwards

This has to stop, it’s only the top few inches we need to fix.

It's a worrying pattern in England games.

Game on!!

Jeez - now we're giving them the ball

Imagine Cardiff if we blow this!

Different sort of game, going for humiliation over just a win. There will be gaps.

Lineout was nowhere near straight

Scotland are going to win this

What is happening!!!!!

Shambles

Owen Farrell is not Captain material

What in the name of......

Gregor must have given them a right rollicking at half time

Wheres England's leaders now?

What is going on!

This is insane even for us.

Shambles

Owen Farrell is not Captain material

You can't make this up!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Get Farrell off

What a game!

Absolute scenes

I do not believe what i am seeing England are throwing this  game away.

That's 2 tries Farrell has given them

Good to see a match where both sides are flinging it about. Scotland have now drawn even at 31-31...freaky ladt ten minutes. Go Scotland

This is absolutely mental!

Exactly what happened v Wales

GeordieFalcon wrote:Get Farrell off

Please don’t

Joe Launchbury take control and lead this team, it’s now or never

England have to pick up their intensity again.

This is hilarious

Well dodson must have been waving the p45s at half time!

England are jogging to support .....they should be flying in to support

Knock on surely?

Take Farrell off

No arms tackle on Graham!

Kicking has gone to pot again - just like against Wales

Shoulder to the head surely.

Farrell up to his old tricks!

Farrell leading with the shoulder again!

Nothing wrong with that, can hardly stop

EnglishReign wrote:Nothing wrong with that, can hardly stop

No arms tackle

He's going for a tackle then tries to pull out clearly ...

Lucky Farrell again

We are done.

Something seriously wrong with us

Pen?

Heaf wrote:He's going for a tackle then tries to pull out clearly ...

He seems to do that quite often!

England need to regroup and sort this debacle out

Get Farrell off the flaming pitch!!!

Worst England Captain ever