We have a tea-time showdown to look forward to on Super Saturday as the 2019 Guinness Six Nations gets rounded off by a Calcutta Cup clash between England and Scotland.
The two old enemies always play out dramatic encounters and this one is gearing up to be no different, with England setting their sights on the Championship title and Scotland desperate to stop them doing so with every fibre of their being.
Super Saturday starts with Italy versus France and then moves to Wales’ hosting of Ireland at Principality Stadium, with both of those sides in the hunt for the title also.
Finally comes this Twickenham clash as the Red Rose look to wrestle the Calcutta Cup back off Scotland, who sensationally won it at BT Murrayfield last year.
Eddie Jones has changed four of his side from the team that beat Italy last time out, bringing back in Jack Nowell, Henry Slade, Ben Moon and the tireless Mark Wilson.
There are changes for Scotland too, three in the backs and three in the pack – where Hamish Watson, Ben Toolis and Sam Skinner come in.
Sean Maitland regains fitness and is installed at full-back, Byron McGuigan is on the wing opposite Darcy Graham and Sam Johnson forms a midfield partnership with Nick Grigg.
WHAT THEY SAID
England head coach Eddie Jones: “Scotland is a difficult side, they are always at you, they play with a lot of enthusiasm and effort and have got a lot of attacking strings to their bow.
“Finn Russell is an exceptional player at 10 and they have got some pace on the outside so we are going to have to defend really well against them.â€
Countdown to #ENGvSCO
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Scotland head coach Gregor Townsend: “First of all we have to build on the positive aspects of our performance from last weekend against Wales, when we were able to generate quick ball and build a lot of pressure on the opposition.
“The character and fitness the players displayed showed, in the second half, what the team is capable of against one of the best sides in the world. The next step is making that pressure count on the scoreboard, more regularly.â€
KEY BATTLE – The back row
The battle between two impressive back row line-ups on Saturday is a mouth-watering prospect, especially given how key this area was for Scotland in their win over England 12 months ago (Scotland won 25-13).
On that day the likes of John Barclay and Hamish Watson frustrated England time and time again at the breakdown, jackalling ball and getting their side onto the front foot.
Fresh from a barnstorming impact performance last week Watson is in from the start this time, joined by impressive 23-year-old Magnus Bradbury and blindside Sam Skinner – who will know his opponents well from his club games at Exeter Chiefs.
Interestingly, all of Tom Curry, Mark Wilson and Billy Vunipola did not make the trip to BT Murrayfield last year – all three are in excellent form and will be up for the challenge on Saturday.
STATS – POWERED BY AWS
- England kick the ball away more than other side – 134 from hand this Championship compared to Scotland’s 82.
- England’s total of 43.2 percent possession is the lowest of all six sides despite their 19 tries and counting.
- Scotland are used to carrying a heavy load, they lead the way with 3629m so far this year while England are the tackle kings with over 1,000 already – and despite their defensive load have only shipped seven tries.
FANTASY WATCH
At 18.5 stars, England ace Jonny May is currently listed as the most expensive player in the game – but can you afford not to splash out on one of the stars of the 2019 Guinness Six Nations so far?
Wing May is the Championship’s top try-scorer so far, having dotted down five times. He’s also scored four of those tries in two outings at Twickenham – expect the rampaging 28-year-old to be champing at the bit to fill his boots once again.
For Scotland, Watson is the man to back. Despite only playing 22 minutes against Wales last weekend the flanker beat ten defenders, more than any other Scotland player has ever achieved in a Guinness Six Nations match.
In fact, Watson registered the sixth-most defenders beaten by any player in one game in the Championship’s history – not bad for someone who only played a quarter of the game.
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TEAMS
England: 15. Elliot Daly (Wasps), 14. Jack Nowell (Exeter Chiefs), 13. Henry Slade (Exeter Chiefs), 12. Manu Tuilagi (Leicester Tigers), 11. Jonny May (Leicester Tigers), 10. Owen Farrell (Saracens) (captain), 9. Ben Youngs (Leicester Tigers), 1. Ben Moon (Exeter Chiefs), 2. Jamie George (Saracens), 3. Kyle Sinckler (Harlequins), 4. Joe Launchbury (Wasps), 5. George Kruis (Saracens), 6. Mark Wilson (Newcastle Falcons), 7. Tom Curry (Sale Sharks), 8. Billy Vunipola (Saracens)
Replacements: 16. Luke Cowan-Dickie (Exeter Chiefs), 17. Ellis Genge (Leicester Tigers), 18. Dan Cole (Leicester Tigers), 19. Brad Shields (Wasps), 20. Nathan Hughes (Wasps), 21. Ben Spencer (Saracens), 22. George Ford (Leicester Tigers), 23. Ben Te’o (Worcester Warriors)
Scotland: 15. Sean Maitland (Saracens), 14. Darcy Graham (Edinburgh), 13. Nick Grigg (Glasgow Warriors), 12. Sam Johnson (Glasgow Warriors), 11. Byron McGuigan (Sale Sharks), 10. Finn Russell (Racing 92), 9. Ali Price (Glasgow Warriors), 1. Allan Dell (Edinburgh), 2. Stuart McInally (Edinburgh) (c), 3. Willem Nel (Edinburgh), 4. Ben Toolis (Edinburgh), 5. Grant Gilchrist (Edinburgh), 6. Sam Skinner (Exeter Chiefs), 7. Hamish Watson (Edinburgh), 8. Magnus Bradbury (Edinburgh)
Replacements: 16. Fraser Brown (Glasgow Warriors), 17. Gordon Reid (London Irish), 18. Simon Berghan (Edinburgh), 19. Jonny Gray (Glasgow Warriors), 20. Josh Strauss (Sale Sharks), 21. Greig Laidlaw (Clermont Auvergne), 22. Adam Hastings (Glasgow Warriors), 23. Chris Harris (Newcastle Falcons)
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