There is nothing quite like travelling to Scotland as an Englishman.
The history, rivalry, angst and hostility of the Calcutta Cup make it one of rugby’s biggest encounters. I experienced the heat of battle in Edinburgh as both a player and coach and loved both.
My first Murrayfield experience was in 1980, as the baby of that England team going for a Grand Slam in what was then the Five Nations. It was just my fourth Test but it was also the best performance I ever delivered in a white shirt.
I set up two tries in a 30-18 win and as we sat in the changing room afterwards, my team-mates were emotional at what we’d achieved. Greats like Bill Beaumont, Roger Uttley, Fran Cotton and Dusty Hare were teary-eyed as we celebrated. At the time, I didn’t see what all the fuss was about!
I’d just gone up against Scottish greats like Andy Irvine and come out on top and later that year, I went on to win Lions selection for the tour of South Africa. Unlike my colleagues, I had no reason to fear Scotland. I had no hang-ups about playing there. I lived in Edinburgh as a child and went to Corstorphine Primary School while my father Ronald was working in the RAF.
I’ve always loved Scotland and Scottish players and still do. But it was only when I became England coach and took my team to Murrayfield that I began to see things differently.
I won as England head coach at Murrayfield in 1998, 2002 and 2004… and lost in 2000 – this is how to silence the Scottish cauldron
The history, rivalry, angst and hostility of the Calcutta Cup make it one of rugby’s biggest encounters
We won the Grand Slam on my first trip to Murrayfield – greats like Bill Beaumont (pictured), were teary-eyed as we celebrated. I didn’t see what all the fuss was about!
Like the Welsh, Scotland will do absolutely anything to beat England. It’s their biggest game of the season and the one that means the most to them emotionally. Clearly, history plays a part in that but I think it can be a weakness for the Scots as well as a strength.
Any England team going to Edinburgh has to be wary of what Scotland can do and that’s both on and off the field. Steve Borthwick’s class of 2026 go into Saturday’s Calcutta Cup on a run of 12 straight wins and with Scotland under pressure after losing to Italy.
England are firm favourites and rightly so, but they can’t afford to lose focus. I know all too well how dangerous it can be to allow Scottish distractions get the better of you.
Our visit to Edinburgh in 2000 is the greatest example of all. The team I was coaching had won all of our first four Six Nations games, leaving a Grand Slam just 80 minutes away. Scotland had lost all of theirs.
But as soon as we arrived in Edinburgh, our title bid untangled. The day before the game, we trained at Edinburgh University. There were thousands of students watching and the players were signing autographs afterwards.
Two of them – Phil Greening and Joe Worsley – were asked for a picture by two young women. They obliged, but when a photographer turned up, the girls lifted up their shirts.
The result was two key England players pictured with two topless women on the eve of the Calcutta Cup. They weren’t students, but professional models planted at our training session with a photographer to cause us a distraction. Mayhem ensued.
There was a big kerfuffle and I was called over. I made sure we kept hold of the photographer so the picture didn’t get out, but when the police turned up, I was told he had to be let go or I’d be arrested. Now that would have been a headline! On the morning of the game, the photo was on the front page of a Scottish newspaper and doing the rounds at breakfast.
Jason Robinson goes over inside seven minutes in 2002, when we ran out 29-3 winners
Our 35-13 win in 2004 is the most points England have ever scored away to Scotland
England’s visit to Edinburgh in 2000 is the greatest example of Scots chicanery. A Grand Slam was just 80 minutes away, but as soon as we arrived in Edinburgh, our title bid untangled
The stunt had been planned and although it was harmless really, it undoubtedly caused our team to lose focus. Two people who weren’t happy were the girlfriends of Greening and Worsley. Their partners didn’t look too upset in the photo!
My England teams stayed at the Balmoral Hotel in central Edinburgh. On the morning of matches, we’d do our lineout drills on Princes Street and we’d get pelters from the Scotland fans who would watch on.
I’m sure that would never happen now, but my thinking was it would get the players ready for the hostile atmosphere that would face them in the game. I had no worries over spies who might watch our moves.
The journey into Murrayfield is intimidating, no doubt. There are home fans everywhere. The bagpipes are playing. It’s hostile. But as I did with my teams, Borthwick and the England players have to embrace that. Walk in with your chest out. Block out the noise.
I’ve loved reading the messaging from George Ford this week who said exactly that. In 2018, Ford was involved in a tunnel scuffle at Murrayfield with Scotland flanker Ryan Wilson who threatened him physically.
Eddie Jones also clashed with and criticised Scottish fans during his time in charge. There can be no doubt it does get heated.
England have to stay cool amid the chaos today – something I didn’t do in 2000. When we went out to warm up that year, our half of the pitch was totally invaded by what seemed like thousands of bagpipers.
Again, it was totally choreographed.
Scotland are very good at planning wind-ups and getting inside English players’ heads
Jerry Guscott gets to know the locals in 1990, when Scotland last won the Grand Slam
Steve Borthwick has plenty of experience of this fixture himself, having been captain against Scotland in 2010
I went absolutely nuts at Clayton Thomas, the referee that day, but he said he couldn’t do anything and we were forced to warm up in the dead-ball area. Which wasn’t ideal.
Then, in the changing rooms before kick-off, I’d just delivered my pre-match team talk when someone blared Scottish music through the speakers. We couldn’t hear ourselves think! Again, it was another distraction technique.
When the time came for the teams to run out, captain Matt Dawson led out England but Scotland refused to follow. They wanted to keep us waiting and locked themselves in the changing room. I went nuts once again, yelling at Thomas to penalise the Scots even though the game had not even kicked off! The Welsh referee was panicking and did nothing.
When the Scots finally emerged after England had been left on the pitch hostages to the Murrayfield crowd, I was giving them all heaps in the tunnel. It was a waste of time and energy. I had not handled the situation well at all.
I didn’t help myself by not playing Martin Johnson that day. Johnson had been suspended for the first four games and Simon Shaw and Garath Archer had played well in his absence. I kept faith with them and didn’t pick Johnson, which was a mistake.
He wouldn’t have stood for Scotland’s funny business. If that comes England’s way today, that’s what Borthwick’s men must do. In 2000, we played one of the worst games of rugby of my coaching career, failing to handle the rain and losing 19-13.
The picture of Scotland, led by captain Andy Nicol, celebrating Duncan Hodge’s decisive try was my laptop screensaver for years after that as a means of motivation.
The funny business didn’t stop once the final whistle blew. We were in our changing room when we were told Princess Anne was waiting to present us with the Championship trophy. Dawson went out on his own to collect it as by then, we’d had enough of Scotland!
Scotland celebrate their 2000 Six Nations victory that stopped us winning the Grand Slam on their patch – I had this picture as my laptop screensaver for years afterwards
Scottish fans run onto the pitch with their flag to celebrate their victory in 2000 – England have won only six of the 13 Six Nations meetings at Murrayfield
Andy Nicol raises the Calcutta Cup in 2000 after being presented with the historic trophy by Princess Anne
Sir Ian McGeechan, who was my opposite number that day, said to me at the post-match dinner: ‘What’s wrong Clive? We should both be happy! You’ve won the Championship and we’ve got the Calcutta Cup!’
I couldn’t believe what I was hearing and as the Scots brought their celebratory haggis into the post-match function, I couldn’t wait to get out of there!
My experiences show me Scotland will do anything to beat England. But this year, it could be that the distractions prove to be all of their own making amid Gregor Townsend’s daft dalliance with Red Bull and links with Newcastle. England, meanwhile, look like a confident team ready for anything thrown at them. They will have to be.
This is a hugely dangerous game for Borthwick and his players, but they are a good enough team to win so long as they handle any distraction both on and off the pitch and expect the unexpected. England to win. But by just a single point!