The players of England are tired of witnessing Scotland’s celebrations after winning the Calcutta Cup in the past. Joe Marler states that his team is prepared for what he considers to be their most hostile match.

Since 2021, Scotland has maintained possession of the Calcutta Cup, having emerged victorious in their last three Six Nations matches against England. In contrast, England has only emerged victorious once in their previous six encounters. Steve Borthwick acknowledges that Scotland holds a significant advantage as the “clear favorites” going into Saturday’s match, highlighting the drastic shift in fortunes as England had held the trophy from 2009 to 2018.

In recent years, Scotland has been consistently successful in their matches, as Marler described. This has resulted in some notable celebrations, such as a video of Finn Russell and Greig Laidlaw appearing to be intoxicated while singing Flower of Scotland in 2018. The following day, Scotland fans approached Eddie Jones, who still remembered the incident a year later. He stated that he was aware that this match was important for Scotland and that they had celebrated greatly after defeating England. Although he acknowledged that he may have a tendency to forget things quickly, he also recognized that some memories can last longer.

In the recently released Netflix documentary “Six Nations: Full Contact,” the Twickenham changing room in 2022 was filled with excitement and energy as Gregor Townsend’s team prepared for the match. England prop Joe Marler recalls a photo of Finn Russell striking a pose, which stands out in his mind. Marler identifies the 2018 defeat at Murrayfield as a turning point, noting the altercation in the tunnel before the match involving Ryan Wilson, George Ford, and Owen Farrell. He believes that England is seen as the underdog in this upcoming contest but is determined to savor the celebration of winning back the Calcutta Cup after their recent struggles.

Marler commented, “Compared to other countries, there seems to be a bit more animosity between England and Scotland. When was the last time they had a conflict?” He continued, “I’m certain it was a long time ago. The altercation between Ryan Wilson and the tunnel perfectly captures the intensity of these matches. It would be satisfying to finally come out on top, as it has been a while since we have. Of course, there was 2020, but Scotland’s ongoing dominance over us has been going on for a while now.”

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As a child, I vividly recall watching the Five Nations, back end, and Six Nations tournaments and witnessing the immense celebration surrounding winning the cup. It was clear to me, even at a young age, how much that one game meant to everyone involved. While many speak of the significance of this game to Scotland, I also observed the English teams who won and could see the immense joy and pride they felt in being champions.

In recent years, there have been moments without the cup that have stood out to me. One of those moments was watching Finn and Greig Laidlaw celebrate with their shirts off and singing with the cup. Although I enjoyed watching it, I couldn’t help but wish I was the one experiencing it. Another iconic moment was the photo of Finn Russell with his hands raised like Spider-Man, clearly showing his excitement and love for the cup. These memories ignite a strong desire within me to bring the cup back and I know many of my teammates share this same goal.

England’s captain, Jamie George, believes that Scotland has already dismissed their team. When asked about Scotland’s celebrations from last year on the program Full Contact, George stated that his team has also shown similar enthusiasm this week. He also mentioned the importance of not getting too amped up too early, but emphasized that this game is one where the senior players will need to step up and set the tone. George himself and other senior players will be looking to lead by example, and he believes that with the addition of talented younger players, England will have a strong performance.

George, who aims to lead his team to three consecutive wins in the Six Nations tournament for the first time since 2020, stated: “We have discussed our performance in previous games at Twickenham and in the Calcutta Cup, and we know we haven’t been up to par in the past couple of years.”

There has been a lot of discussion in the Scottish media about our perceived lack of chance and the notion that we should not even bother showing up. Personally, I am unfazed by this as we will simply focus on our own preparations. We are pleased with our progress over the past few weeks, having made significant improvements during our break. Each individual can draw motivation from different sources, whether it be personal matters or outside influences such as media coverage. This upcoming game will certainly be intense and we are fully prepared for that.

Source: theguardian.com