England move forward with new sense of optimism

Scotland 12 England 26:MARTIN JOHNSON'S first Six Nations campaign in charge of England has proved significantly more productive than anyone predicted a fortnight ago. Not only did his team finish with the tournament's highest try count and the second-meanest defensive record, but the side's late surge to second in the table qualified the Rugby Football Union for a healthy €531,734 performance-related bonus from the tournament's commercial pot.

As a result a sense of quiet optimism pervaded the RFU’s post-match banquet on Saturday night and Steve Borthwick’s end-of-term report to the assembled audience – “It’s not where we want to be but it’s progress” – was spot on. Confidence, composure, character and consistency are the four pillars on which all top sides are built and England, out of the rubble of the autumn Tests, have shown that something of lasting value is under construction.

A championship featuring three convincing home wins and a one-point defeat away to the eventual Grand Slam champions should also ensure the English Lions contingent cannot gather in the same telephone box.

Those wishing to be part of England’s ongoing project, however, will have to lay off the pies. A Calcutta Cup success over Scotland, which left both sides gasping in the closing stages, underlined Johnson’s belief that his squad need to get fitter.

“You can’t generalise about a squad of 64 players, but some guys are up there at a world-class standard and some guys are not,” said Johnson. “We’ve got to raise the bar at all levels if we want to get better.”

Ugo Monye could find himself held up as an athletic role model after his stunning cover tackle to deny the Scotland wing Thom Evans an 11th-minute try. “I got to the middle of the pitch and thought: ‘I’d better put my foot down here’,” said Monye. England managed three tries against the Scots, one apiece from the outstanding Monye and Riki Flutey plus a belated calling card from Matthew Tait.

Scotland, for their part, had to rely again on Chris Paterson’s unerring boot and the jury will now retire to consider head coach Frank Hadden’s future. The Scottish captain Mike Blair loyally suggested Hadden’s players might have “let him down a bit” while the coach himself is convinced fifth place does not accurately reflect his side’s ability.

ENGLAND: Armitage, Cueto, Tindall, Flutey, Monye, Flood, Ellis, Sheridan, Mears, Vickery, Borthwick, Shaw, Croft, Worsley, Easter. Replacements: Hartley, White, Kennedy, Haskell, Care, Goode, Tait.

SCOTLAND: Paterson, Danielli, M Evans, Morrison, T Evans, Godman, Blair, Dickinson, Ford, Murray, White, Hamilton, Strokosch, Gray, Taylor. Replacements: Hall, Low, Hines, Brown, Cusiter, De Luca, Southwell.

Referee: Marius Jonker (South Africa).

Attendance: 82,000