England ready for a true test of character against Scotland

If England’s rugby team ever arrive at Murrayfield to a warm, affectionate greeting, either hell will have frozen over or the Six Nations will have been downgraded to pre-season friendly status. Even without the looming prospect of September’s referendum on Scottish independence, there remains a “fee-fi-fo-fum” element to every Calcutta Cup visit and England’s players expect no difference this time.

Their hooker, Dylan Hartley, the most experienced member of this England side, summed it up nicely on the eve of a fixture dating back 143 years. “Everywhere you go in the Six Nations as an England player it’s us against the world. Last time we played at Murrayfield we turned up on the bus and all of a sudden a gang of bagpipers were walking in front of us. It took us 10 minutes to get from the stadium entrance to the changing rooms.”

This time the fireworks, the saltires and the Braveheart references will be reinforced by a parasitic worm-infested pitch and the probability of rain, not to mention an intense Scottish desire to atone for a depressing opening effort against Ireland. While a test of English character clearly looms at a venue where they have won only once since 2004, Hartley is adamant his team-mates will not crack. "It might affect weak players but I don't think we've got any of them."

As for the playing surface, England’s coaches expect it to cut up badly regardless of the match-day weather. “I feel sorry for the groundsman because it’s going to take a lot of repairing but it doesn’t really bother us. We’re ready for any type of game,” said the England coach Andy Farrell after his side’s final session.

Cross-codes switch
Ironically it is the sort of occasion that would suit Sam Burgess, if he does follow Farrell's example and switch from rugby league to union. Farrell has again insisted the RFU has not approached the player or his club, South Sydney, but did concede "a fighter and a warrior" such as Burgess stood a better chance than some of making the "very tough" cross-code switch.

England’s priority, though, is to avoid being suckered into an old-school arm-wrestling contest with big, strong Scottish forwards such as Jim Hamilton. Farrell expressed “surprise” at the dropping of the captain, Kelly Brown, but the inclusion of Glasgow’s Chris Fusaro has given the hosts a specialist openside in ideal conditions for a ground-hog style of flanker.

The obvious solution is to defuse the Scottish pack at source and try not to get bogged down in the well-documented mud. It is also unlikely England will suffer as many unfortunate bounces, or leak as many scrum penalties, as they did in France last Saturday. Even so there could be ripples of concern if their first-choice tighthead Dan Cole goes off prematurely, while an injury to Owen Farrell would require Alex Goode to prove he is more than just a caretaker Test outhalf.

Upwardly-mobile
The positive aspects of the Paris performance suggested an upwardly-mobile English side if one or two small details – restarts and second-half lineouts – are tidied up. Scotland will find Billy Vunipola as much of a handful as France did while Jonny May, painful nose or not, is determined to make up for lost time.

Whether that counts for anything once the sky darkens and the pipes start to skirl is a different matter. Scottish pride is wounded and no one expects them to win, often a lethal combination. Will Carling has already sent a text via Mike Catt advising the players "to remember 1990". England should win by a dozen points but we have said that before.
Guardian Service