England are progressing under Steve Borthwick

Individually Scotland were better but visitors had genuine attacking intent at the first phase which had been missing for more than a year

In terms of standard, this was not a Calcutta Cup classic, but it was everything we could have hoped for in terms of a compelling narrative and gripping drama. Both teams were full of attacking intent and it made for a thrilling spectacle, albeit mainly due to the number of times that players erred or turned the ball over.
At times, especially in the first half, it was almost more valuable to not have the ball in attack than to actually be in possession. Except for two magnificent first-phase tries from scrums, most of the best attacking moments – certainly, in the first half – came from turnover ball or counter-attacks. Two of Duhan van der Merwe’s hat-trick of tries came in this fashion, with the other – the opener – from a signature Scottish set-piece move.
The key word is intent. Scotland have had it for some time – attacking is Scotland’s first thought – but Saturday at Murrayfield was the first time we saw real, attacking intent from England at first phase in the Steve Borthwick era, and perhaps even before that. There were plenty of errors, with both sides struggling to string phases together, but the tries from George Furbank and Immanuel Feyi-Waboso proved that whatever England are doing as a collective is working. The same cannot be said for their individual accuracy, however, which blighted their cause and also hamstrung Scotland’s in the first half.
But there was progress from England. The intent was there, with Borthwick clearly looking to expand England’s attack from set piece, which had been a glaring hole in their arsenal. Most of their set-piece work over the past two or three seasons had been solely with kicking or territory in mind. At Murrayfield, it was a bit chaotic – including on the Scottish side – but both sides showed a willingness to attack when the ball was turned over, which happened a lot. Perhaps, England might rue not increasing that further later on in the game, when they still required two scores to win.
Errors aside, individually Scotland had a greater level of threat to go with the intent. Van der Merwe has developed into a world-class wing but alongside him, Cameron Redpath, Huw Jones, Kyle Steyn, Blair Kinghorn and, while fit, Sione Tuipulotu all have the ability to beat a defender one-on-one. England’s first-phase game – the bit which can be rehearsed in training – looked sharp with their starting team but it was telling that their phase-play ball-carrying improved when the cavalry arrived. Feyi-Waboso looked lethal when he came on, with a magnificent angle from behind the ruck, blindsiding Scotland, which led to his try. Whenever he touched the ball, the first tackler either dropped off him or was clinging on every time. As soon as you have the defensive bees attracted to the nectar, there is space elsewhere; it adds mental pressure to the defence, because they become preoccupied with individuals. I want to see the Exeter wing having more minutes. For the same reason, I would stick with Ollie Lawrence in midfield, even if he struggled against Scotland. Fin Smith impressed off the bench and, along with Feyi-Waboso, I’d like to see him given more minutes, maybe a start.
The next stage for England is to get their attackers working even harder off the ball, getting another two or three players in that outside 20-metre channel. So, if they are on the front foot, they are still able to play with numbers after two passes. At the minute, there’s just one player left. Even if Lawrence’s misguided pass had gone to the hands of Ben Earl, there was still no overlap there to be exploited. Scotland had still numbered up in defence. But, both of England’s tries were positively produced. That is progress.
In the second half, both teams tightened up a touch to try and establish some control – of both territory and possession. Scotland managed that half astutely. Finn Russell is on the top of his game at the moment, and has significantly improved his game management. The co-captaincy seems to have strengthened him, added maturity. The lessons from France were learnt and Scotland took three points when they needed to. Games in this championship will always be tight so take the points as they come. Gregor Townsend, the head coach, will be really pleased with the way Russell managed the game while also keeping those X-factor flourishes, such as the cross-field kick for Van der Merwe’s hat-trick score.
Can either of these two teams disrupt a second successive Irish Grand Slam? I am not sure. Ireland remain a level ahead, simply because of the organisation and speed of their phase-play game. They keep the ball and make you work really hard in defence.
That will be the key for Scotland because they almost always score points. They scored 30 points at Murrayfield against England’s much vaunted blitz. Townsend’s side will have to put in a top-drawer defensive performance against Ireland, when it matters. Scotland defended well for large chunks against England and they got parity at the set piece. Scotland will believe in Dublin, but Ireland will naturally be comfortable favourites.
With Ireland next, England remain a work-in-progress. They will have to use that improved first-phase attack against Ireland because establishing front-foot momentum early is critical – it brings your ball-carriers into play. A lot of fans might believe this is a retrograde step for England, and losing to Scotland will hurt, but the general endeavour and youthful dynamism proved that all hope is not lost.