The Calcutta Cup has seen Scotland outperform England in recent matches, having won four consecutive encounters, raising concerns for English fans. Despite England's historical dominance, this shift has sparked discussions about the future of English rugby, especially after a strong win against France. However, England's inconsistency remains a critical issue, as they often fluctuate in performance. Their past games portray a team struggling to maintain momentum, and while a revival seems plausible, the uncertainty surrounding their consistency leaves fans questioning their ability to secure victory against a rejuvenated Scottish team.
In recent times the Calcutta Cup has morphed into the Scottish play the English would rather not mention by name. One Red Rose win in seven attempts and four consecutive victories for Gregor Townsend's side has certainly been an uncomfortable sequence for those who, for decades, regarded death and taxes as only marginally more inevitable than Scotland losing down south.
The cyclical nature of sport and sheer weight of numbers, though, would suggest an English revival has to materialise at some point. The big question is when and Saturday, in theory, offers a perfect opportunity.
Even against France they were required to ride their luck and might have been 20 points down in the first half if Les Bleus had not seemingly been playing with a piece of soap.
It is easy to forget England made an encouraging start, conjuring a lovely early try for George Furbank not dissimilar in its execution to Elliot Daly's dramatic score against France last Saturday week.
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