The cracks were there for all to see ...
Here’s our match report. The Six Nations is over for another year. See you in Japan? Thanks for reading along with me. Goodnight.
Fair play to Eddie Jones, he was pretty up front there. This game also shows how impressive Wales were earlier, keeping Ireland off the scoreboard until extra time in an absolute pressure cooker.
Here’s Eddie Jones: “Unfortunately it’s a recurring problem we have – like the first Test in South Africa. We lose control of the game, and don’t find a way to get it back. We think we’ve got a pretty good idea of what’s going wrong, but it’s not easy to fix.
We’d rather have games like this now than in the World Cup. I think we played some brilliant rugby, we should have been even further ahead. But we just got seduced by the scoreboard, thought it was an easy game.”
Gregor Townsend: “We showed a lot of character today. I was more than proud of the second half. We set a goal of winning the half – we thought the game was gone! It’s amazing what can happen in a game of rugby. We’re so disappointed in the end to have lost... to have drawn the game.”
As the dust settles on that absolute madness, let’s have a look at the final Six Nations table:
Owen Farrell: “It shocked us when they got a bit of momentum. This is different to the Wales game, we got in a rut and couldn’t get out of it. It was more in our control than we thought it was... the start feels like a long time ago now.
“Rugby’s a game of momentum. Scotland played good rugby and punished them. It’s disappointing we let that happen. We’ve got to learn, work hard and look at ourselves a bit deeper.”
“As Alex Ferguson might have said, vewy, vewy proud. Rugby, eh? Bloody hell,” offers Simon McMahon.
Alex Welby is more pragmatic: “Scotland should have let Nowell score in the corner and given Ford a chance of missing the conversion.”
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Admin corner: Scotland have retained the Calcutta Cup, having won it at Murrayfield last season. As for England, they’re having a lengthy on-field inquest, led by Owen Farrell.
Here’s Finn Russell, wearing the wryest of smiles: “We showed so much character to come back ... I’m just gutted we couldn’t get the win. At half-time, I had an argument with Gregor [Townsend] because nothing was working. We just came out in the second half with nothing to lose.”
Full time: England 38-38 Scotland
What an extraordinary game of rugby. Scotland were begging for the final bell after half an hour, then roared back from nowhere. Seconds away from ending 36 years of Twickenham hurt, they had their hearts broken at the last. I’m not sure I can find the words to do it justice.
TRY! England 38-38 Scotland (Ford 83')
Nowell is held up but England come again and Ford finds a gap in the middle, sends Johnson the wrong way, and darts under the posts. He converts, and England, from 31-0 up, have escaped with a draw!
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82 mins: England with another advantage, and Nowell stretches to within millimetres of the line... England are still alive here...
81 mins: We’re into the red, but England win the lineout. Scotland stop the maul, England have an advantage, and work their way to within five metres. Scotland hanging on...
79 mins: England have a penalty with seconds left on the clock, and George Ford will look to send it deep into the corner. “About thinking the Scots would happily have taken the final whistle at 24-0,” says Geoff Wignall. I’ll level with you Geoff – I didn’t see this coming.
78 mins: Scotland rip the ball out again, and England are running out of time. Scotland fans: 1983. You may never hear that year again...
@niallmcveigh Oh, me of little faIth ...
— Cuthbert Artichoke (@bertartichoke) March 16, 2019
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Berghan strips the ball from Vunipola and Finn Russell works his magic again, finding Sam Johnson who wriggles free of a challenge and moves slowly, inevitably towards the line. He goes over under the posts, and Laidlaw converts. Scotland are rewriting history here.
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TRY! England 31-38 Scotland (Johnson 76')
This is really happening.
74 mins: The tension is mounting here, with Scotland winning the scrum and after an exchange of nervous kicks, Scotland turn over in the England half...
73 mins: Scotland have a scrum as England make more changes. Hughes, Cowan-Dickie and scrum-half Ben Spencer replace Launchbury, George and Tom Youngs.
72 mins: England try to creak back into gear, moving patiently into Scottish territory. Remember when it was all chip kicks and no-look offloads?
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70 mins: Farrell, who was pushing his luck with that challenge on Graham, is replaced by George Ford. Another attacking move from Scotland is halted by a forward pass.
“Switched off at 31-0,” says Simon McMahon. “Have I missed anything?” I can’t help but wonder if any away fans headed for the exits after half an hour...
Missed penalty! Laidlaw misses a tricky one, slicing it beyond the far post. Come on Scotland, don’t Scotland this.
67 mins: The collision came when Farrell crashed into Darcy Graham as the Scottish wing tried to kick clear. The referee awards Scotland a penalty, but there’s no further action. Adam Hastings comes on for Maitland. And what’s this? Laidlaw’s going for the posts – from a long way out...
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“Maybe England are tiring?” honks a champagne-soaked Matt Dony.
65 mins: Vunipola rumbles forward and Farrell kicks across the field, but it’s straight to a blue shirt. Laidlaw finds touch, with Farrell and Graham both hurt after a collision.
63 mins: Maitland shimmies and shakes into space from midfield, but his kick forward drifts into touch.
From Gracenote’s Simon Gleave: No team has ever come back from more than 24 points behind to win in international rugby union history.
62 mins: I wonder what the odds were on a Scotland win when they were 31 points behind. England try to get back on the front foot, and Scotland have to rally in defence to keep Slade from restoring their lead. Simon Berghan is on for Scotland, who have the chance to do something incredible here.
TRY! England 31-31 Scotland (Russell 59')
Farrell, whose charged-down kick began this extraordinary comeback, throws a pass to Kruis that Finn Russell pounces on, racing clear to score! Laidlaw converts, and Scotland. Are. LEVEL.
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Russell, who has been exceptional in the second half, found Maitland with a pass and he teed up Darcy Graham, who took the quickest route to the corner for his second try. Scotland were 31-0 down. Thirty-one. Nil. Russell misses the conversion, but no matter...
TRY! England 31-24 Scotland (Graham 56')
...and from the restart, Scotland score their fourth try! What is happening out there?!
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56 mins: Five changes for Scotland, in fact, with Brown, Gray, Strauss, Laidlaw and Harris on. That’s a fair bit of experience coming off the bench...
55 mins: Scotland about to make four changes to try and keep momentum on their side – but they turn it over before that, Youngs careless in possession...
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52 mins: Dan Cole is on for Kyle Sinckler, and the England fans are trying to get their team going again. Tuilagi bursts in behind, but the hosts get in a muddle and can’t finish it off.
TRY! England 31-19 Scotland (Bradbury 49')
Well, well. Another terrific attacking move, Price with a crafty chip kick that he gathers himself before offloading to Magnus Bradbury, who chugs clear to score! Russell converts, and the gap is down to 12 points...
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TRY! England 31-12 Scotland (Graham 47')
This is a lovely try! The away fans might be glad they came now. Finn Russell starts a flowing passing move, the ball going through Johnson and Price before Darcy Graham collects on the left, spins his marker and scores! Russell misses the conversion.
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45 mins: The second half hasn’t started with the same intensity as the first. There’s a long break here as a Scottish player receives some treatment. Allan Dell goes off – though I’m not sure it was he who was injured – and Gordon Reid comes on.
43 mins: Grant Gilchrist ends an England attack with a smart turnover, and Scotland will have a scrum.
We're back!
The second half, and the final 40 minutes of this year’s championship, is off and running.
A half-time question for you: which northern hemisphere team are now the most likely to unseat New Zealand at the World Cup? Wales? England? Ireland? Thoughts welcome.
A killer stat from Gracenote’s Simon Gleave:
England have scored 30 or more first half points for the third time in this year’s Six Nations. They scored 30 against France, 31 against Italy and now 31 today. No other team has ever managed this more than once in a Five or Six Nations season.
At the far end of the M4, some fans are having the sporting day of their lives. Wales have won the slam – and Swansea are leading Man City 2-0!
Half time: England 31-7 Scotland
Jonny May threatens to get in down the left again, but Scotland finally get the ball into touch. Safe to say, no let-up from England here with the Six Nations title gone.
40 mins: Scotland hold firm this time, Graham stripping the ball away and winning a penalty. Russell’s kick doesn’t find touch, though, and their nightmare half isn’t over yet...
39 mins: More attacking pressure from England, and an off-the-ball tackle on Tom Curry concedes the penalty. Farrell goes for the corner, England pushing for a fifth try before half time.
TRY! England 31-7 Scotland (McInally 35')
One of the more enjoyable tries you’ll see. McInally charges down Farrell’s kick and is suddenly away and clear. The hooker looks out of puff after 10 metres, but shrugs off two challenges and hauls himself over the line! Russell adds the extra points.
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32 mins: Nowell, a constant menace down the flank, skips past a tackle and kicks through. Russell clears with zero finesse.
@niallmcveigh Luckily, my local does not have a tv.
— Cuthbert Artichoke (@bertartichoke) March 16, 2019
TRY! England 31-0 Scotland (May 29')
England are taking the proverbial now. Graham works hard to win back possession but soon enough the hosts are pouring forward again, and Slade jogs down the left flank before handing off to Jonny May. He trundles in, Farrell converts. This is so, so easy for England.
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28 mins: Scotland go long with the lineout, but Johnson can’t get the ball under control. Not sure now’s the time for training ground trickery, and England break upfield...
27 mins: Genge is penalised for a late hit on Ali Price you could file under ‘unnecessary’. Russell finds the corner, and Scotland will have a chance to get on the board...
England 24-0 Scotland (Farrell penalty)
Farrell makes it 400 Six Nations career points. I think Scotland would take the final whistle now.
22 mins: Price’s clearing kick is grabbed by Nowell, who starts another attacking move. England work through the phases, Slade changing the direction of the attack and allowing May to move forward down the left. Scotland can’t get a second’s respite, and an inevitable penalty is given. Farrell is going to kick the three points...
20 mins: England go for the throat, Elliot Daly offloading brilliantly to Jack Nowell, who kicks smartly down the touchline. Ben Youngs is onto it, pursued by Ali Price. It looks like both players miss it, before Youngs grounds it – but replays show the faintest of knock-ons!
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19 mins: Johnson finds McGuigan with a fine looping pass out wide as Scotland try to edge upfield. England’s line speed is ferocious, though, and they’re forced to kick away...
17 mins: After a bit of back-and-forth from a scrum, Scotland lose possession again, with Russell playing a loose pass, and England start a sweeping attacking move. Maitland has to be alert to squeeze Slade into touch.
TRY! England 21-0 Scotland (Launchbury)
This is going to be a long night for Scotland. England win the lineout and from Genge’s offload, Sinckler barrels straight down the middle, before finding Launchbury for the score. Farrell adds the two points with another clinical conversion.
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12 mins: Price gives Scotland some breathing room with a box-kick clear as England keep applying the pressure.
“Let’s not be too hard on Scotland, eh?” offers Simon McMahon. “We actually played quite well for the first 30 seconds.”
TRY! England 14-0 Scotland (Curry 8')
England’s maul is far too strong here, carving a path for Tom Curry to get over the line! That’s his first try at Twickenham. Farrell has another tricky conversion attempt, but nails it!
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7 mins: Referee Paul Williams, making his Six Nations debut, penalises Scotland for an offside. Farrell kicks into the corner as England look to turn the screw...
5 mins: Ben Moon is forced off early with an injury, replaced by Ellis Genge. I can’t stop thinking about the replica trophy. Where is it right now?
Sorry, mate.
@niallmcveigh I'm dreading the match, the only hope I'm clinging on to is that England will be so deflated after Wales win the trophy, they'll leave their A game in the dressing room.
— Cuthbert Artichoke (@bertartichoke) March 16, 2019
TRY! England 7-0 Scotland (Nowell 1')
Ah, that didn’t take long. Vunipola collects a clearance and barrels forward and England create an overlap, Slade teeing up Jack Nowell to crash over the line. Owen Farrell converts despite the stiff breeze.
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Peep!
As the champagne flows in Cardiff, Owen Farrell kicks off at Twickenham.
The anthems are ringing around Twickenham. There’s still pride to play for, right?
Wales have won the grand slam! Follow the celebrations over here:
“Afternoon Niall,” writes Simon McMahon. “1983? 1983?! Those were the days. Football World Cup finals were a matter of course for the national football side, Dundee United were winning their only league title and routinely bothering the great and the good of European football. A Grand Slam to look forward to in 1984, before or after nuclear Armageddon, we didn’t care.
“Whatever happens at Twickenham today, and I suspect there won’t be much worth remembering from a Scotland point of view, we’ll always have 1983, and 1984, and that pass from Finn Russell last year, won’t we? Like Tony Stanger at Murrayfield in 1990 or Gavin Hastings in Paris five years later, it’s moments like those that keep us Scots going. God knows they’re few and far between, can you blame us for milking them? I’d take a 20 point defeat today.”
Wales are closing in on the grand slam – they lead Ireland 22-0 with less than 20 minutes to play:
Pre-game reading:
Team news
England: Daly, Nowell, Slade, Tuilagi, May, Farrell (c), 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 (c), Nel, Toolis, Gilchrist, Skinner, Watson, Bradbury.
Replacements: Brown, Reid, Berghan, J Gray, Strauss, Laidlaw, Hastings, Harris.
Preamble
Hello. The significance of this game hinges on the outcome in Cardiff – and with Wales 16-0 up at half time, only a spectacular Irish comeback will give England a chance at winning the Six Nations.
Scotland, as you may have heard, haven’t beaten England at Twickenham since 1983. Gregor Townsend’s side will be desperate to end their historical losing run here, while England look to finish their campaign in style and then ponder what might have been. Kick-off is at 5pm.
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