England vs. Scotland in the 6 Nations – Which Team’s Fans will be Celebrating This Weekend?
England’s annual 6 Nations clash with Scotland takes place at Twickenham on Saturday, with kick-off set for 16.00. This thrilling Calcutta Cup match will be broadcast live on ITV – but what’s at stake for each of the teams?
England vs. Scotland – Can England Secure a Historic Win?
England are at the top of the table going into the penultimate weekend of tournament action, having earned 13 points from their wins against France, Wales and Italy. That’s four points more than Scotland, who are currently sitting in third place, a point behind the Irish.
By the time the English take to the field tomorrow, they’ll know whether or not a win against Scotland will be enough for them to claim the Championship trophy. Their ability to wrap up the tournament a weekend early will depend on the result of tonight’s match between Wales and Ireland at the Principality Stadium, Cardiff. Should the Welsh win, and the Irish fail to pick up enough bonus points as losers, a win against the Scots would be enough for England to secure the title.
Even if the Irish force them to fight on for another weekend, England would make it into the history books if they won tomorrow’s match, as they’d have equalled New Zealand’s record-breaking run of 18 consecutive wins. A victory would ensure that the Museum of Rugby could display the Calcutta Cup amongst its rugby trophies for another year too.
Should they triumph tomorrow, they’d also be one step closer to taking the Triple Crown, securing their 28th Six Nations tournament win and achieving their fourteenth Grand Slam.
Can Scotland Triumph at Twickenham and Seize the Triple Crown?
Scotland haven’t beaten England in a Six Nations tie since 2008 and their last victory at Twickenham was 34 years ago. The odds, therefore, aren’t in their favour. This year, however, the national squad is considered to be the strongest in almost two decades, and the players went into the tournament brimming with confidence.
They’ve already beaten Ireland and Wales, so a win against England would ensure they take at least two trophies home from this year’s tournament: the Calcutta Cup and the Triple Crown. Unfortunately, they won’t be able to complete the Grand Slam this year, as France defeated them by 22-16 in the second round. However, victory against England would put them firmly in contention for the tournament win.
Far from being intimidated by England’s recent run of form, according to Huw Jones, the Scots are using it to drive them on.
“It’s a massive opportunity and one of the big incentives is to stop their run,” the Scottish centre told the BBC. “It’s not so much daunting, but quite exciting.”
Whilst England are the bookies’ favourites for the victory, many Scottish fans believe that their time to win at Twickenham again may finally have arrived. In an article in the Telegraph last week, for example, former Scottish rugby union player, Sir Ian McGeechan said that he believed “Vern Cotter’s men have an excellent chance” of winning the crucial England vs. Scotland 6 Nations tie.
Which team do you think will win tomorrow’s England vs. Scotland match? We’d love to read your views on this weekend’s Six Nations action. Share your thoughts in the comments section, or tell us on Facebook, Google+ or Twitter.