Scotland end England’s 12-game winning streak with four-try Calcutta Cup triumph

England’s 12-game winning streak came shuddering to a halt as they crashed to their heaviest Calcutta Cup defeat in eight years at the hands of fired-up Scotland.

The Scots’ four-try 31-20 triumph at Murrayfield – in which England wing Henry Arundell was shown two yellow cards in the first half – was their biggest in the fixture since 2018.

It was particularly timely for embattled head coach Gregor Townsend, who had come under intense pressure after a grim 18-15 defeat by Italy in his team’s Guinness Six Nations opener last weekend.

While the victory breathed new life into Scotland’s championship and allowed them to lift the Calcutta Cup for the seventh time in nine years, it served as a major blow to England’s hopes of capping their resurgence over the past year with a first title since 2020.

Scotland started strongly and got the scoreboard ticking in the fourth minute when Finn Russell sent a close-range penalty between the posts.

The Scots gained themselves another advantage in the eighth minute as Arundell was yellow-carded for failing to release after the tackle as the hosts made a break towards the try-line.

Townsend’s men swiftly made the extra man count with a brilliant try in the 10th minute as Russell, in the midst of a free-flowing attack, swatted the ball nonchalantly out to the left with one hand for Huw Jones, who eased away from Maro Itoje to score. Russell added the extras.

The Scots were at their swashbuckling best and crossed the whitewash again in the 14th minute when they worked the ball from right to left for Jamie Ritchie to pile over. Russell again converted.

Where Scotland were 12-0 down after quarter of an hour in Rome a week previously, here they found themselves 17-0 to the good by the same