By Kath
January 31 2013

Scotland visit the home of their arch nemesis England a venue where they have not won for almost 30 years.  England have won the Calcutta Cup the last two years Robshaw lifting the trophy in 2012 and Mike Tihdall in 2011.  Let's hope that Chris Robshaw will be lifting the Calcutta Cup again this Saturday.

England v Scotland

Calcutta Cup

RBS Six Nations 2013

Twickenham 2nd February - Kick Off 1600 - Live on BBC One

Referee: Alain Rolland (IRFU, 16th RBS 6 Nations game)
Assistants: Jerome Garces (FFR), Francisco Pastrana (UAR)
TMO: Nigel Whitehouse (WRU)

Billy Twelvetrees - Photo Empics

England's last outing was a superb win over New Zealand to win the Hilary Trophy.  They kick off this new year against the 'Auld Enemy' Scotland let's hope they can start the way they finished with another trophy, that being the Calcutta Cup.  However, we do have Referee: Alain Rolland to contend with?

Billy Twelvetrees will make his England debut the Gloucester centre comes in for Manusamoa Tuilagi, while Joe Marler replaces Alex Corbisiero in two changes from the side that started against New Zealand in December.   Dylan Hartley, Toby Flood and David Strettle come on to the replacements' bench for David Paice, Freddie Burns and Jonathan Joseph respectively.

As Tom Croft said this week in our sportsbeat video - he said. "Going into the Six Nations there will be a lot of pressure on them.   "After that win they will be expected to go well and in that first game against Scotland will expect a big show, with hopefully the right result going our way. 

It is always nervy the opening stages of the Six Nations Championship but England do have the players it is just the belief and I would hope that they would be able to see off Scotland.  Fingers crossed eh!

England Head Coach Stuart Lancaster said: “We are happy to stick with the team that did so well against New Zealand, especially in light of the fact that they have all been in good form for their clubs since then.  “There were some very tight calls, with some  experienced players coming back into contention, and I am sure the bench will have a significant impact on the game.  

"We can't wait to get back to Twickenham and hopefully experience the same atmosphere as the autumn when the crowd was superb. It means a lot to the players to have such support in the ground and watching on television."

England : Alex Goode (Saracens), Chris Ashton (Saracens), Brad Barritt (Saracens), Billy Twelvetrees (Gloucester), Mike Brown (Harlequins); Owen Farrell (Saracens), Ben Youngs (Leicester); Joe Marler (Harlequins), Tom Youngs (Leicester), Dan Cole (Leicester), Joe Launchbury (London Wasps), Geoff Parling (Leicester), Tom Wood (Northampton), Chris Robshaw (Harlequins, capt), Ben Morgan (Gloucester)

Replacements: Dylan Hartley (Northampton), David Wilson (Bath), Mako Vunipola (Saracens), Courtney Lawes (Northampton), James Haskell (London Wasps), Danny Care (Harlequins), Toby Flood (Leicester Tigers), David Strettle (Saracens)

Scotland : Stuart Hogg (Glasgow Warriors), Sean Maitland (Glasgow Warriors), Sean Lamont (Glasgow Warriors), Matt Scott (Edinburgh), Tim Visser (Edinburgh), Ruaridh Jackson (Glasgow Warriors), Greig Laidlaw (Edinburgh); Ryan Grant (Glasgow Warriors), Dougie Hall (Glasgow Warriors), Euan Murray (Worcester Warriors), Richie Gray (Sale Sharks), Jim Hamilton (Gloucester), Alasdair Strokosch (Perpignan), Kelly Brown (captain - Saracens), Johnnie Beattie (Montpellier).

Substitutes: Ross Ford (Edinburgh), Moray Low (Glasgow Warriors), Geoff Cross (Edinburgh), Alastair Kellock (Glasgow Warriors), David Denton (Edinburgh), Henry Pyrgos (Glasgow Warriors), Duncan Weir (Glasgow Warriors), Max Evans (Castres).

England v Scotland 2013 - Calcutta Cup

Discussion started by Unofficial England Rugby Union , 31/01/2013 11:41

Unofficial England Rugby Union
31/01/2013 11:41

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willienelson
01/02/2013 00:48

Betting preview up here for the game if anyone's interested in that

england v scotland six nations betting preview

dropkickrugby.com/forum - rugby betting previews and rugby betting forum for fans of every club and country

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PoyntonShark
01/02/2013 00:51

Strong back row for Scotland, and Murray likely to have upper hand at scrum time on Marler, but difficult to predict anything other than a fairly comfortable win for England. Confidence should be sky high after the last outing.

Johnson is a wily old byggr, and likely to have more than one surprise for us. I think it likely that he will try to make Scotland more enterprising than their traditional spoiling sides, but not sure it will suit them. Don't wish to be disrespectful and want Scotland to be competitive again, but think Englands biggest challenge will be against 'first' game nerves.

Having read through that again probably should add that I hope England don't suffer, as I appear to, from over confidence.

Unhappiness, where's when I was young
And we didn't give a damn
'Cause we were raised
To see life as a fun and take it if we can

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Timberline
02/02/2013 12:46

Difficult one to call but I think England by 10 points. I think we have too much behind the scrum and in our points' accumulator.

Unfortunately, for me, Alain Roland maybe an issue. A pity but I have to say ppl don't pay their fee to watch a referee.

Good to see the 1980's Scotland team, the last to win at HQ, will be in attendance. Hope that's not a sign!

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UnofficialEnglandRugby
02/02/2013 17:49

Well Done England

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PoyntonShark
04/02/2013 02:40

Well, Roland wasn't an issue FWIW I thought he had a good game. Clear communication and consistent approach. In fact, it's probbaly no coincidence that all 3 games were excellent entertainment, and all 3 refs put in good performances.

England's first up tackling, or rather lack of it, had me worried for a time, and I am actually glad that I was wrong and being more expansive did seem to suit Scotland. I had no previous knowledge of their Fullback Stuart Hogg, but he looks like he could be a real handfull and has that get out of jail big boot too. Early dark horse for a Lions spot?

Unhappiness, where's when I was young
And we didn't give a damn
'Cause we were raised
To see life as a fun and take it if we can

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