After the first two rounds of this year’s Six Nations Championship, England is well positioned in second place behind the pre-tournament favourites, Ireland. Although two wins from two is a good return for Steve Borthwick’s team, the nature of the three and two-point victories over Italy and Wales can hardly be called scintillating rugby.
Following a break last weekend, England will hope to produce a better display on visiting Murrayfield to face Scotland on Saturday. Gregor Townsend’s men have progressed steadily under the ex-Scottish flyhalf, finishing third in last season’s Six Nations before performing admirably when losing to the eventual winners South Africa in last year’s World Cup in France.
England itself, written off after only a fourth-place finish in last year’s Six Nations, ran South Africa close in the World Cup, before claiming third position with a hard-fought victory over Argentina. As a result, The Red and Whites place fifth in the World Rugby rankings, a position above its upcoming opponents.
Despite this, Scotland holds the advantage for the upcoming Edinburgh clash, with online sports betting sites listed on Safest Betting Sites making Townsend’s team the 11/17 favourites compared to England’s 20/13 odds on offer.
With Scotland defeating its fierce rivals in the last three Calcutta Cup meetings, including the corresponding fixture at Twickenham last season, home advantage plays its part and Safest Betting Sites provide a reliable odds indicator. As Ian Bruce, Senior Editor for the site, explains:
“Safest Betting Sites is your guide to the best and safest UKGC-regulated betting sites. We strive to bring you information about the best bonuses, promotions and odds while keeping you safe from non-licensed online bookmakers.” (source: https://safestbettingsites.co.uk/).
Can England defy these odds and emerge victorious against the Scots on Saturday?
English head coach Borthwick confirmed after the narrow victory over Wales that Luke Cowan-Dickie, Manu Tuilagi and George Martin should all be fit and ready to face Scotland, meaning the English will have more options available at Murrayfield. All three have since been included in the England squad.
Despite being regarded by many as the premier tighthead in the English game, Bristol Bears prop Kyle Sinckler is again omitted from the squad. Will Stuart and Dan Cole have both performed solidly in the first two rounds but the addition of Sinckler, even from the bench, may have provided extra forward impetus against the solid Scottish loosehead, Pierre Schoeman.
Gloucester’s no. 8, Zach Mercer, is another forward to miss out on selection again, despite consistent standout Premiership performances. Capped twice under Eddie Jones, Mercer has been surplus to requirements under Borthwick as he seemingly doesn’t fit into the present coach’s tactical setup. His consistency and ability on the drive for Gloucester would make him a more than adequate replacement in impact situations.
Starting with the Scotland game, England’s upcoming Six Nations fixtures will likely provide sterner tests than the Italy and Wales matches did. The team has yet to fire, and a win against a Scotland side looking in better shape at face value would do wonders for English confidence.
With a dominant Ireland at Twickenham next up, questions remain about Borthwick’s gameplan and selection policies. Yes, England could beat Scotland on Saturday, but it’ll likely be another tight, safety-first performance if it happens.
