Edinburgh (AFP)
England relaunched themselves in the Six Nations Tournament by beating Scotland with a snatch (13-6) in a match made complicated by weather conditions on Saturday in Edinburgh.
With 5 points tied with Wales, England provisionally takes third place in the competition dominated by Ireland (9 points), before France-Italy on Sunday, while Scotland is 5th with two points defensive bonuses in two matches.
This 149th Calcutta Cup will have delivered a rough match in a intermittent rain and a violent but intermittent wind which partly explains the countless number of blunders in the footwork.
By hand the two teams were not more efficient, which explains why just over 10 minutes from the end the score was still 3-3.
Unable to chain the playing times, the Scots have locked themselves in a completely sterile physical challenge against the English always as organized in defense, arriving to rot all the outings of balls.
In the end, it was by being a little more realistic than their hosts and by taking advantage of a scrum at 5 meters conceded by a Stuart Hogg decidedly struggling on this start of the tournament in his brand new captain's outfit, that they rocked the match.
The hooker replacing Ellis Genge was pushed by Tom Curry and Mario Itoje beyond the line (10-3, 69th), before a penalty on each side came to garnish the thin scoreboard a little.
An important victory but far from convincing for the English defeated by France last Sunday (24-17).
Disappointing in the animation with a Heinz-Ford hinge with sometimes questionable choices, the English relied on the power of their forwards to contain Scots not more inspired.
Eddie Jones has to put things in order for the vice world champions before the reception of the Irish leader in two weeks for an important turning point in the competition.
Scotland, it will try to garner a first success in Italy.
© 2020 AFP