Rugby’s 6 Nations thrown wide open after shock England loss in Edinburgh
by Steve Clare
The traditional rugby Six Nations tournament has been thrown wide open after England suffered a shock 25-13 defeat to Scotland at the Murrayfield Stadium in Edinburgh.
England were heavily fancied as they had not lost to the Scots in ten years and entered the match with a 100% record in this season’s competition. But the match, played annually for the Calcutta Cup, deviated from the expected plan very early on.
In a blistering first half, the Scots scored three tries to lead 22-6 at half time. The Scottish centre with the Welsh name, Huw Jones, crossed the England line twice, the first of which was Scotland’s first against England at home in 14 years. Sean Maitland grabbed another to give the hosts a 16 point lead at the interval.
England came roaring back after the interval and scored a comeback try inside the first three minutes when star player Owen Farrell went over. He converted his own touchdown to bring the score up to 22-13 but that was as close as the white shirts came to closing the gap.
They dominated for periods but were not helped when Sam Underhill was sent to the sin bin for a shoulder charge in the 66th minute. Finn Russell secured an extra three points with the subsequent penalty and that was the end of the scoring. Even a man down, England continued to press but could find a way through a heroic dark blue line. Their inability to score again cost the a valuable bonus point, awarded for a loss of less than seven points.
Russell and Greg Laidlaw added a penalty each for the Scots while Farrell added two for England.
Ireland lead the table with three straight wins but face a buoyant Scotland next
The result opens the way for an Irish championship win as well as Scottish glory.
Earlier in the day, they secured their third win beating Wales 37-27 in Dublin. They meet the Scots in a huge decider in Dublin om March 10. England, though disappointing today, are not out of the title hunt but visit Paris on the same day. France’s only win has come against minnows Italy.
England host Ireland on March 17th in the final round in what could still be a title decider but they may still have to keep an eye on Rome where Scotland play their final fixture.
Four points are awarded for a win with an extra bonus point for scoring four tries in a match. A losing side can secure a bonus point if it loses by seven points or less.
The rugby World Cup seven-a-side tournament is coming to San Francisco. Look out for our photos and coverage in July.
