Lancaster proves a point to his doubters

Scotland 6 England 13:THE TEETH-GRINDING grimace on the face of Alex Salmond, Scotland's first minister, as he shook the hand of England's victorious captain, Chris Robshaw, spoke volumes.

If ever there was a game to make Scots of all political hues curse the neighbours this was it: 80 minutes of pure, distilled frustration served ice cold. Andy Robinson’s side have now gone four games without scoring a try, and the head coach’s post-match expression made Salmond look positively radiant.

For England’s interim coach, Stuart Lancaster, this was a result to warm the soul. It may have been one small step in the context of this year’s Six Nations Championship but it represented a giant leap for Lancaster and fellow coaches Andy Farrell and Graham Rowntree. A dollop of beginners’ luck has never been illegal and the defensive spirit displayed by a number of English debutants reflected well on the management’s motivational skills.

Whether stubbornness alone will be enough to overcome sides less allergic to try-lines than the Scots remains to be seen but for the next day or two England will not greatly care. This was their first victory at Murrayfield since 2004 and the psychological benefits cannot be overstated. Last week’s nervous new caps now know they have it in them to win tight, taut Test matches away from home. That knowledge can only benefit all concerned as they shift their attention to their next outing in Rome, this Saturday.

Lancaster wants his side to play with vision and ambition in the fullness of time but Scotland had no answer to the impressive line speed and straight-line pressure of Brad Barritt, Owen Farrell and Charlie Hodgson.

It was by no means coincidence that England’s winning try, less than 30 seconds into the second half, came from a charge-down; such a scenario had been discussed in team meetings in advance. Hodgson’s outstretched left hand not only earned him the match-turning score but may just hasten poor Dan Parks’s international exit.

If it is unfair to blame Parks for all Scotland’s travails, though the below-par outhalf did sum up the difference in self-belief between the teams. Where Lancaster had the courage to include eight uncapped players in his 22-man squad, Robinson took the conservative option of picking Parks, when Greig Laidlaw or the young Duncan Weir would have delivered a far more positive statement of intent.

Weir was heavily involved in Scotland A’s 35-0 demolition of England Saxons in Galashiels on Friday night, and Laidlaw has been at the heart of Edinburgh’s free-scoring recent improvement. As in his England days, Robinson’s selectorial instincts do not always match his coaching ability.

The upshot is that Scotland can run around like crazy without having the necessary composure and handling skills to reward their energy. England also held firm at scrum and lineout and will be hoping to do something similar in Italy.

Mouritz Botha, yet another committed Saracen, had a conspicuous Six Nations debut and Robshaw was a tireless presence. Of the replacements, Ben Morgan, Geoff Parling and Lee Dickson all furthered their reputations, as the visitors, with more than a little Caledonian help, clung grimly to their slender lead.

It might still have culminated in disappointment had the Scots taken their chances, not least when Ross Rennie broke clear down the middle and fatally delayed his pass to the supporting Mike Blair.

England supporters also had reason to be thankful when the galloping Richie Gray burst into space, only for Alasdair Strokosch to spill the ball with the line in sight. The busy Laidlaw was a millimetre or two away from applying enough downward pressure to satisfy the television match official, and Ben Foden’s brave tackle on a charging David Denton caused further Scottish angst.

It also helped ensure Scotland’s 12th opening-round defeat in 13 Six Nations attempts. To add injury to insult, Denton, Gray, Al Kellock and Nick De Luca all suffered dead legs that will need treatment.

If the highly promising Denton and Rennie scarcely deserved to finish on the losing side, few could deny Lancaster tangible reward for his admirable attempts to turn around the fractured England squad.

Those who doubt the suitability of the Cumbrian for the permanent job may have to start reassessing if Italy are beaten and Wales can also be overcome at Twickenham.

Coaches who succeed in transforming the culture of a dressing-room almost overnight should be taken seriously, particularly if they also deliver results to match.

“We can take confidence from that and, hopefully, bring a more attacking emphasis into our game,” suggested the Northampton hooker Dylan Hartley.

Within an hour of the final whistle, either way, Lancaster had 108 messages waiting for him on his mobile phone from old and new friends alike. Even his Scottish-born mother will have been thrilled. It is already abundantly clear he, Farrell snr and Rowntree have the full respect of the players.

The latter’s address to the squad as he handed out the team jerseys on Friday night was, by all accounts, particularly powerful. The polythene wrapping still clings to Lancaster’s new-look squad but the early portents are encouraging.

SCOTLAND: R Lamont (Glasgow); Jones (Edinburgh), De Luca (Edinburgh), S Lamont (Scarlets), Evans (Castres); Parks (Glasgow; Laidlaw, Edinburgh, 57), Cusiter (Glasgow; Blair, Edinburgh, 59); Jacobsen (Edinburgh), Ford (Edinburgh, capt; S Lawson, Gloucester, 75), Murray (Newcastle; Cross, Edinburgh, 75), Gray (Glasgow), Hamilton (Gloucester; Kellock, Glasgow, 59), Strokosch (Gloucester; Barclay, Glasgow, 59), Rennie (Edinburgh), Denton (Edinburgh).

ENGLAND: Foden (Northampton), Ashton (Northampton), Barritt (Saracens; Brown, Harlequins, 72), Farrell (Saracens), Strettle (Saracens); Hodgson (Saracens; Turner-Hall (Harlequins, 63), Youngs (Leicester; Dickson, Northampton, 63); Corbisiero (London Irish; Stevens, Saracens, 63), Hartley (Northampton), Cole (Leicester), Botha (Saracens), Palmer (Stade Francais; Parling, Leicester, 59), Croft (Leicester), Robshaw (Harlequins, capt), Dowson (Northampton; Morgan, Scarlets, 68).

Referee G Clancy (Ireland).

Attendance: 67,144.