Gregor Townsend Addresses Scotland's Performance Ahead of Calcutta Cup Showdown
Scotland's head coach Gregor Townsend has openly acknowledged that the Calcutta Cup encounter with England remains the most significant fixture of the season for his team. However, the under-pressure coach has firmly dismissed assertions that Scotland are incapable of elevating their game to a similar standard when facing other opponents.
Courtney Lawes' Criticism Sparks Debate
Former England lock Courtney Lawes intensified the scrutiny on the Scots this week by claiming in a newspaper column that they only truly turn up for one match annually. Lawes stated: 'Scotland only play well because it's England, that p***** me off. It strikes me as a major weakness in Scotland's psyche.'
Under Townsend's leadership, Scotland have dominated the Calcutta Cup, securing the trophy in six of the last eight meetings. Yet, Townsend faces immense pressure following a dismal defeat to Italy in Rome last weekend, which marked the worst possible start to Scotland's Six Nations campaign.
Pressure Mounts After Disappointing Results
'The last two performances or last two results against Italy and Argentina have been disappointing,' said Townsend, who has once again omitted Duhan van der Merwe and Blair Kinghorn from the lineup. 'It opens up opportunities for criticising the team, criticising the coach. I get that. It's not good enough from our perspective. We didn't win those games and we're hugely disappointed for our supporters. That's what we're working to rectify.'
He emphasised the importance of the upcoming match: 'This is huge on Saturday. It's our biggest game of the season, it always has been. It's even more important on the back of a defeat, a disappointing defeat. We know our supporters are behind us as they always are and we'll need their energy at the weekend.'
Defending Scotland's Broader Capabilities
Addressing Lawes' comments directly, Townsend responded: 'He's got his opinion. He obviously wasn't at the All Blacks game [in the autumn] or he wasn't at other games. We played very good rugby. We know we have to raise our game for this team like we have to raise a game for most teams now because they're quality sides we're up against.'
Townsend highlighted Scotland's ability to perform in high-stakes matches: 'To win a game like this you have to raise your game, which we have. And we've raised it in other games. But this is one where we've been really proud of the performances over the years. Even last year I thought was arguably up there with the 2023 performance. It's the best I've seen from the team. It didn't lead to a win. But we know what we need to do and it's being as accurate as possible. Playing close to your best and being a quality team.'
Team Changes and Selection Decisions
In response to last weekend's defeat, Townsend has implemented four changes to the starting lineup. Ewan Ashman is sidelined due to a neck injury, with George Turner stepping in at hooker. Townsend clarified that this decision was based on fitness, not Ashman's lineout struggles in the previous match.
Pierre Schoeman, Grant Gilchrist, and Matt Fagerson are also omitted, making way for Nathan McBeth, Gregor Brown, and Jamie Ritchie. Notably, for the first time since 1998, there are no Edinburgh players in Scotland's starting XV.
Townsend has retained a five-three split on the bench, despite this strategy being widely criticised as a clear error during the monsoon conditions in Rome. He also resisted calls to recall Van der Merwe, who has an impressive record of five tries in seven matches against England, while Kinghorn remains a notable absentee.
Looking Ahead to the Clash
'Ewan Ashman being injured is a blow for him,' Townsend added. 'He's been one of our best players over the last couple of seasons. It was obviously a big decision not involving Grant this week. He has been excellent in this fixture. I can count on one hand the players who have given more in this jersey over the last 10 years.'
He expressed confidence in the selected squad: 'But the team we've selected, we feel players can make a really good impact at the start of the game. But also as we go into that final quarter, we understand that Test rugby is a 23-man game and we'll be using the bench this week because we know England are going to do that.'
As Scotland prepare for the Calcutta Cup, all eyes will be on Finn Russell to provide the creative spark needed to challenge England, with the team aiming to rebound from their recent setbacks and prove their critics wrong.
