Scotland will bring the Calcutta Cup to Twickenham on Saturday and, after holding it for four years, they won’t want to let it go because, let’s face it, they aren’t in danger of winning anything else.

Harsh, but true. Their meek capitulation against Ireland in the last round of the Six Nations provided an annual reminder that endless optimism north of the border has no foundation. 

All the hype and hope lies on a thin layer of sand. There was a familiar sinking feeling at Murrayfield as the Irish bullied their out-classed opponents to claim a 32-18 win which could have been far more emphatic.

Now comes the fixture which acts as such a focal point for Scottish rugby. They have become used to beating England and that being the peak of their achievements. 

Raising themselves to face the ‘auld enemy’ is a familiar routine. Under Gregor Townsend, Scotland have won four in a row against their despised southern neighbours and have five wins and a draw from the last seven encounters.

It is a small feast amid a wider famine, and is founded on a motivational imbalance. There is no escaping the fact that the oldest fixture in international rugby matters more to one side than the other. While England players will be hell-bent on revenge this year, the normal pattern is that they can’t match the fired-up intensity coming at them, founded on historical antipathy.

Speaking anonymously, some of those who have worn the red rose in this fixture present a telling view of what it has meant. ‘It was never seen as a big game because we always won, until now,’ said one. ‘We had to be seen to say it was a rivalry, but it wasn’t.

‘We always face the best of Scotland because the fixture means more to them. For us, it’s always been just another game, which is what has cost us in the past four games. 

'Emotionally, we struggle to get up as much as they do. It’s the one fixture they turn up for and play above themselves – then they can never back it up.’

The clue is in the anthem. Flower of Scotland is all about fighting off the English. And the point about backing it up is a valid one. Every year, there is a Scottish fanfare and a conviction that their ‘golden generation’ can land a prize at last. But, other than the Calcutta Cup, the shelves in the trophy cabinet remain resolutely bare.

In case of outrage, here are some stark facts. England have won seven titles in the Six Nations era. France, Ireland and Wales have all won six. Scotland have won none. Their last Grand Slam was back in 1990, when the game was still amateur. That is also the last time they clinched a Triple Crown. 

In 25 years since Italy joined the European showpiece, Scottish finishing positions have been third – five times, fourth – eight times, fifth – eight times and sixth – four times.

This mid-to-lower-table existence is comfortable and safe, in a ringfenced tournament. Scotland are a foundation union, entrenched in the post-colonial establishment. But they are not capable of challenging the Test rugby hierarchy. Playing talent has to be cobbled together from all parts.

Their recent record against England has been based in large part on a large South African, who is now Scotland’s record try-scorer – Duhan van der Merwe. There have been other project players from South Africa, not to mention a captain and No 8 from Australia. Many countries, including England, use imports, but the Scots have had to oversee a mass migration to reinforce their stocks. 

There seems to be a ceiling, which Scotland have reached. Townsend had a fine playing career and is a smart, accomplished coach, as well as a passionate patriot, but even he hasn’t been able to lift his country above third place. They have never won more than three out of five games. Maybe that will happen this year. Maybe…

For England, this rivalry is different to the ones they have with the other Celtic nations, because the Irish and Welsh are hell-bent on lowering their colours, but only as part of grander objectives. They have pedigree.

Consider the bigger picture and Scotland’s place in the untouchable elite is a damning indictment of rugby’s narrow reach. They always have a seat at the top table, despite not doing much to warrant it, while the likes of Georgia and Spain, seeking to harness promising growth, stay stuck on the outside, looking in.

These days, those striving for ‘Tier 1’ status are vetted to assess the benefits they would bring, but Scotland wouldn’t pass any such box-ticking exercise. It is a small country where rugby is a minority sport, with a modest talent pool and limited commercial clout.

Each other country in the Six Nations has a useful dimension. England and France have big-market benefits in the scramble for precious revenue and a fair share of titles and trophies. 

Wales have had – at least until recently – national passion for the sport and plenty of success too. Ireland are riding high amid an oval-ball boom. 

Italy have struggled, but they are a symbol of vital expansion and have so much latent potential if results improve. Scotland? Not a clue, sorry.

Murrayfield always provides a fervent atmosphere, but rugby has such a limited footprint beyond its walls; really just Edinburgh public schools and borders heartlands. 

There is always home-grown talent to keep the flame flickering. Finn Russell is a box-office star, flying the flag in the Premiership, after illuminating France’s Top 14. Blair Kinghorn is at home amid exalted surroundings at Toulouse. Huw Jones is another class act.

But Scotland have no pro-era titles and only two pro clubs, although Glasgow are the reigning URC champions and have become a force. The country faces a constant battle to assemble competitive squads using every possible outside production line and slight allegiance to stay afloat. At least their Under 20s have won back a place at the junior World Cup this year, after being relegated in 2019.

On Saturday, Scotland will seek to extend their period of dominance over England. A fifth successive win would be their record sequence, if it were to happen. But even if they enjoy another one-day feast, the wider famine shows no sign of ending.

Dire state of Welsh rugby 

Wales – where to even start? Firstly, Warren Gatland helped them punch above their weight for a generation. His Six Nations title and Grand Slam-winning glory era means his name should be up in lights for eternity in the Principality. 

He even came mighty close to guiding the Welsh to two World Cup Finals – in 2011 and 2019 – as an epic feat on a global scale. Remarkably, Gatland has been in charge of almost 20 per cent of all Tests ever played by Wales and he deserves to be remembered for the highs rather than the latter lows. 

He came back thinking he could make a difference again and while that didn’t happen, such innate belief is exactly why he was successful for so long, so it is wrong to damn him for it now. 

Beyond the ailing national team, Welsh rugby is in a dire state, as illustrated by a crowd of just 3,492 in Swansea, to see the resurgent Ospreys nearly ambush URC leaders Leinster. 

Afterwards, the visitors’ Welsh coach, Robin McBryde, spoke for many when he said: ‘Rugby has lost its soul in Wales. I don’t think anybody is enjoying themselves. There aren’t a lot of people watching the game. It’s very sad.’ 

Against that backdrop, hope is faint, but Matt Sherratt is highly regarded and there would be wild irony if an Englishman managed to transform Wales, fast, to create a dangerous trap for England on the last day of the Six Nations. Don’t rule it out.

Racing nearing a relegation scrap 

Here’s a wildly predictable development – sacking Stuart Lancaster and replacing him with a French head coach, Patrice Collazo, has not sparked an instant revival at Racing 92. 

Quite the opposite, in fact, as the Parisians’ crisis deepened on Saturday with a home defeat against the Top 14 league’s bottom club, Vannes, to leave Racing just three points above their latest conquerors. 

They could find themselves dragged into a desperate fight against relegation, which doesn’t sit well with the image of an ambitious, capital-city superpower based at a futuristic, indoor arena. The reality doesn’t fit the brochure, shall we say. 

Lancaster was besieged by political interference behind the scenes during his tenure and the shambolic situation won’t do much to convince Owen Farrell to stick around after this season. 

Rumours are swirling about the former England captain seeking an early return to the Premiership – with Leicester frequently name-checked as potential suitors, although he was always destined to return to Saracens sooner or later. Sooner is now favourite, surely.

No fairytale return for All Black icon 

For the neutral, it was a shame that the first weekend of the new Super Rugby Pacific season didn’t feature a fairytale start for Ardie Savea with Moana Pasifika. 

The All Black icon was driven to honour his Samoan heritage by joining the Auckland-based franchise made up of players from that Pacific-island nation and Tonga, and they led Western Force by 13 points with 10 minutes remaining of their opener in Perth. 

But the Force capped a stunning comeback with a match-winning, injury-time try rounded off superbly by Ben Donaldson, after an epic 26-phase, 70-metre attack. 

There’s wasn’t much of a crowd in for that one, but it was better elsewhere, notably in Christchurch, where the Crusaders edged out Kiwi rivals the Chiefs in a razzle-dazzle encounter. 

There were some close contests, which isn’t always a feature of the competition. As well as the Force’s 45-44 win, the Waratahs beat the Highlanders 37-36 in Sydney and the Brumbies fought back to claim a 36-32 win over the Fijian Drua in Suva. 

With the Lions heading Down Under this summer, all with a vested interest in that tour will hope that this promising start by Australian franchises continues.

Last Word 

Once the championship is over, there should be a full review of how Immanuel Feyi-Waboso’s injury recovery has been handled, because it is doing little to promote the supposed benefits of the new Professional Game Partnership. 

The club-country deal was hailed as a means of fostering greater alignment within the English game, but the test case involving Exeter’s rookie wing sensation has not gone smoothly. 

He dislocated a shoulder in a match against Sale on December 21 and since then the saga has been slow and confused. Initially, it emerged that the player – a medical student – had opted for surgery, to ensure a full recovery. 

It meant missing the Six Nations but came across as a common-sense decision with long-term benefits. After omitting him from England’s training squad, Steve Borthwick explained that the 22-year-old was poised to have an operation and wished him well. 

Weeks later, there has been no surgical intervention and Feyi-Waboso has changed course, with a patch-up-and-play plan. Perhaps he was desperate to further his Lions tour prospects with more Test appearances, or perhaps Borthwick has wielded his PGP trump card, which gives him the final say on management of key players. 

Either way, it does not appear to have been a textbook process and needs to be analysed in due course. England must hope that after Phil Morrow’s belated arrival as their new head of performance, these teething problems will be overcome.