Saturday 8 February 2014

Calcutta Cup 2014 Preview: Scotland v England


Let my blue suede shoes come out and be worn. Let the saltire be wrapped around my torso. Let my vocal chords be warmed up, ready to sing "Flower of Scotland".

The 2013/14 international rugby union season for Scotland continues as we play our biggest game from 5pm tonight against England in the key Calcutta Cup fixture. It is set to be a volcanic occasion. And the context could not be more friskier. 

Last week, defeat was bitterly tasted north and south of the border to Ireland and France respectively. Both teams will be angry and full of passion for this key fixture. Scotland have only won this trophy three times since after 1990, so nobody can doubt that our neighbours will be the firm favourites to win.

But they won't walk to victory. Last year, we may have been beaten badly by them at Twickenham in the opening fixture of the Six Nations. Yet we roared on to an impressive third place with famous home wins over Italy and Ireland at Murrayfield. This is a Scotland side that is improving and they have proven that they should never ever be written off, especially when times get tough (just like last week).

The fans will play a very key role, as ever, in this evening' proceedings. Scotland do not have to dominate the match. Scotland do not have to do anything clever. Scotland only needs to show complete resilience and frustrate the visitors. If they do this, then there's every chance that we may seal, quite probably, our most famous sporting victory in recent decades. Especially (dare I say this in a wider context) in what is this nation's most important years in centuries.

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