Only the most bullish of Scots could ever have seen this result coming — nothing worked out as expected, and England simply must make changes

From left: Steward, Bevan Rodd and Ford cut frustrated figures after England’s humbling defeat at Murrayfield
DAN MULLAN/GETTY

Surprise in sport is a wonderful thing. Neutrals crave it, sometimes even the favourites welcome it because it shakes them up.

But when that surprise becomes a reverberating, rollicking shock, when a result that was not even contemplated before the action started, and when every aspect of the occasion came up different, we are left in sporting shock. In a week when some of us found the winter sports as tepid as the temperature wasn’t, here in Edinburgh we had winter sport that was raw, magnificent and a profound shock to everyone bar those who had harboured the most profound inner belief.

Good old Princess Royal had her day too. She has been the most loyal president of the Scottish Rugby Union for decades, hardly misses a match and finally managed to be present for an extra bit of royal duty: the presentation of the Calcutta Cup to dear old, deserving old, thunderous old Scotland. The brief in protocol was significant. As he took the trophy, Sione Tuipulotu, the heroic captain, grabbed Her Majesty on the shoulders with two muddy hands.

Scotland v England - Guinness Six Nations 2026

Tuipulotu hoists the Calcutta Cup into the Edinburgh sky

Was it her own technical advice that helped? As she met the players one by one before the game, she seemed to whisper something to Zander Fagerson, the Scotland prop. Expert lip-readers reckoned that she whispered to Fagerson: “Give that Ellis Genge some hammer up front.”

The surprise, surprise. It permeated the crowd, which we expected would be low of mood and noise after Scotland’s feeble effort in Rome. But Murrayfield was magnificent. They were ranting and raving when they realised that the shock was not only on the cards, but was becoming unstoppable, and they coped admirably with the dodgy old lyrics of Flower of Scotland.

Nothing worked out as expected. The monster England pack ended in full retreat against a Scottish pack edged out last week by the Italians. Too many people have made too much of England yet again — yet again the grand slam has slipped, and the massive England forwards had moments, especially in the second half, when they were taken to the cleaners, butchers, bakers and hairdressers. It was meant to be all England up front. But what about Nathan McBeth, winning his first cap up front? McBeth did as much as anyone to turn the tide that, frankly, never broke on the Scotland shores.

Freddie Steward of England being tackled by Tom Jordan of Scotland during a rugby match.

England’s game plan to use Steward’s height to their advantage was thwarted by Scotland

And what else did not turn out as anticipated? We thought that the match would comprise huge hoofs from George Ford and Freddie Steward, with similar coming the other way from Finn Russell and Kyle Steyn — both of whom, incidentally, were on blissful, glorious form.

But the kicking competition was called off. We expected Steward to show us exactly what he means when he complains about the laws about high kicks. He has to stand firm and courageous to catch them, whereas the chasing team has only to come running up and hook a single hand around the ball to project it back. Steward wanted, and has called for, a change to the law so that the chasing team have the same technical responsibilities as the catching team.

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It is a fair point, but Scotland were in no mood to play as England expected them to. Steward was little used, and the midfield of England may well make the selectors think again. Too many people appear to see too many England players drafted into the team for life, to their cost.

The phases of the match also surprised you. When England struck early in the second half you assumed that they would steamroller Scotland. But England’s early scrum dominance petered away, Fagerson and the Scotland pack eventually had the better of Genge and his men, while their tackling, so weak against Italy, suddenly became devastating.

Pollock’s introduction did not have the same impact as it did against Wales

Disturbingly, the promised second-half challenge by England never materialised, and perhaps the most astonishing thing of all in this match is that the final scoreline does not represent either the authority or the try chances of Scotland. But if to win is joyous in itself, then to do so with Russell and company successfully attempting magical rugby makes it even better.

England must make changes. They must stop playing what they think is a joker, but is actually a joke. Henry Pollock made his traditional late appearance yesterday, but arriving against a dreadful Welsh team with the match already well won is one challenge. To come on to try to save the match against a rampaging Scotland, is something else.

It was the France-England game at the end of the season that was meant to be a magnificent climax, but the shock of the smashing Scots has wrecked that prospect while also electrifying Murrayfield.

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Too many have made too much of England — but what a rollocking shock