ENGLAND JUST DID enough to end a run of four straight defeats by Scotland with a 16-15 win at Twickenham as they maintained their Six Nations title hopes.
Scotland outscored England three tries to one but, significantly, Finn Russell was off target with all three conversions – including the outstanding Duhan van der Merwe’s 79th-minute score – as the hosts prevailed by a point for the second match in a row following their 26-25 win over France.
Scotland led 10-7 at half-time, scoring tries through Ben White and Huw Jones either side of Tommy Freeman’s lone converted score for England as Van der Merwe once more tormented the hosts’ defence.
But two Marcus Smith penalties and a long-range effort from Fin Smith put England 16-10 up with 10 minutes to play.
Even so the visitors might still have won the game, with Van der Merwe sprinting in for what was his seventh try against England – extending his own Scotland record for the fixture – only for Russell, passed fit after a head injury last time out against Ireland, to skew the conversion.
England’s second win from three championship matches meant they stayed in touch with unbeaten Ireland, who maintained their bid for an unprecedented third successive Six Nations title by beating Wales earlier Saturday.
Scotland took just four minute to open Saturday’s scoring.
England wing Ollie Sleightholme’s poor kick gave Scotland possession inside their own half.
Van der Merwe, who scored a 44-minute hat-trick against England at Murrayfield last year to follow his brilliant solo Twickenham try of 2023, skipped past a would-be tackler and released Blair Kinghorn.
Full-back Kinghorn found Tom Jordan, with the centre’s excellent inside pass sending in scrum-half White for a try out wide that Russell could not convert.
But England hit back soon afterwards when Freeman forced his way past several defenders for a close-range try, with Marcus Smith converting to nudge the hosts 7-5 ahead.
Van der Merwe, however, was causing England problems every time he received the ball and in the 20th minute, as Marcus Smith again fell off a tackle, he found Jones with the centre going through a narrow gap near the touchline for his sixth try against England to equal Van der Merwe’s mark.
Russell again missed the conversion but Scotland still led 10-7 in an open game.
England coach Steve Borthwick had kept faith with his ‘dual playmakers’ after Fin Smith had impressed in his first Test start at out-half against France, with Marcus Smith moving to full-back to accommodate the Northampton No 10.
But fears this would leave Marcus Smith exposed in defence were realised Saturday as Scotland took every opportunity to run at the Harlequins player.
Marcus Smith, however, showed his attacking quality on the stroke of half-time with a superb slalom-style run that took England to within sight of Scotland’s try-line only for Ollie Lawrence’s reverse pass out of the tackle to go over Sleightholme’s head and into touch.
Borthwick brought on former captain Jamie George and Chandler Cunningham-South in a bid to bolster his pack early in the second half, with veteran utility back Elliot Daly also coming off the bench before Marcus Smith’s 55th-minute penalty tied the game at 10-10.
Scotland blindside flanker Jamie Ritchie won several turnovers before England kicked for a close-range line-out after Kyle Rowe was penalised for a high tackle on lock Ollie Chessum.
Marcus Smith’s simple 67th-minute penalty in front of the posts gave England the lead for the first time in the match.
Minutes later long-range kick specialist Fin Smith, whose Scottish parents were in a Twickenham crowd of over 81,000, landed a penalty from just inside half-way to make it 16-10 before Van der Merwe took Scotland to the brink of another memorable victory, with Russell’s missed conversion ensuring England held on for a one-point win.
Could DVM gone closer to the posts for an easier conversion?
@James Dowling:
Told a guy before the game that Scotland would win in the last 5 min.
Forgot Russell is a spoofer…
Finn Russell is a first rate show pony and a turnstile in defence. Has to be the most over rated player in the 6 nations
@Rob: appalling game management
@Rugbyanbeer: other than a few wide passes his first instinct was to shovel pass it to the nearest Scottish jersey. At this point I think the Scots would be far better off without him
@Rob: “mercurial genius lions outhalf” my a@#e. Should stay behind having a good laugh and chuckle with his mates in a Glasgow pub.
The officiating in that game was quite frankly digusting. A try that should never have been. England getting away with murder at the breakdown. Then taking forever with their own box kicks. Itoje jumping over the ruck and just let at it. I actually thought Brousset was usually decent, but my god did he have a mare. Also, Lions 10 shirt is so up for grabs, absolutely on a plate for Russell and he’s decided to have his worst six nations ever.
@Patrick Breen: it was a schizophrenic performance from Brousset , that try was never grounded.. Itoje is some boy isn’t he crying like a child then just going full itoje on that turn over!
@Patrick Breen: i mentioned elsewhere that i haven’t seen a frenchman bend over at twickenham like that in oh…a good 7 days or so…
@Patrick Kennedy: lol
The big Edinburger DVM wins man of the match in 3x consecutive Calcutta cup matches and this time on the losing side. good man :) the scots really lift it up against the old enemy. Exiting ending ..
Wouldn’t take a present of Russell
@Brian Flynn: looks like Alamy Stock Photo have another 3 for their collection …
He won’t win a Lions tour with him
Two poor side’s
@Seanie: wales will beat England..
Maybe italy as well
@Seanie: two poor side’s what?
@Patrick Kennedy: don’t question Seanie’s grammar or spelling, it has a life of its own.
@Patrick Kennedy: doing the billy post
@Patrick Kennedy: Scotland england sure are two poor side’s
@Paulie Murphy: very true i see cian commented have it blocked grammar police be mutted another now
@damien reidy: Wouldent think so
@damien reidy: Italy already beat wales you fin clown
@shane mcginley: I was talking about England… but you know that right?
@shane mcginley: no need to be rude
@damien reidy: could happen i read it wrong sorry
A game Scotland should have clearly won. Mistakes and poor judgement cost them
Finn the flake great man to control a game and deliver a win … mehole, as mentioned earlier you wouldn’t him as a present
I would watch Scotland play rugby as much as I could. Always exciting. Win games they should lose and vice versa.shame about today
@frank walsh: You hardly think that was exciting Frank? Ending aside it was an absolute pig of a game.
Glorious failure, it should be written across the saltire. Regardless of sport, they have a terrible habit of bottleing it
Time is up for Townshend
@Conor Lynott: He only looked at it for research purposes.
Headline should read “Scotland edge Scotland “
I have never seen an international team butcher so many opportunities in the red zone
England were so poor but took their chances unlike the Scots
Finn Russel has played himself out of contention for the lions- 0 from 3 at this level in unacceptable
@Reggordon: England had a brain frat of game plan and Scotland couldn’t excite