There was no better way for Scotland to commemorate the 150th anniversary of rugby's oldest rivalry.
At the start of the Six Nations, XV del Cardo stunned England at Twickenham with their first win since 1983, built on a scorching defense and a lone trial by
Duhan van der Merwe
(6-11).
Under an inclement rain, in the middle of the strict silence of some empty stands, the Scots imposed their racial style against the reigning champions of the tournament.
They took away the stones of the Calcutta Cup and gave their fans an updated tribute to that 1871 match at Raeburn Place (Edinburgh).
The ambition of the team led by
Gregor Townsend
was reflected in a brilliant first half hour, with a punishment blow from
Finn Russell
(min. 6) and the aforementioned test by Van der Merwe, his wing of South African origin (0-8).
Russell's leadership
The English could only reply with two shots to sticks from
Owen Farrell
, after a couple of distractions from the visitors, who had not been able to express their superiority on the scoreboard.
So the 6-8 break opened the door to the comeback.
However, the exceptional performances of captain
Stuart Hogg
and rookie
Cameron Redpath
gave Scotland even more verve in the second half.
Another punishment blow from Russell in the 49th minute frustrated XV de la Rosa, without physical or technical resources in the face of what was coming.
The depth of
Sean Maitland
and
Stuart Hogg
, coupled with Russell's superb leadership, kept the finalists from the last World Cup at bay.
Scotland was able to celebrate a feat similar to that of the 2019 Six Nations, when they rallied from 31-0 in London to 38-38.
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