Scotland v England: Five talking points ahead of Six Nations opener
Last Updated: 06/02/16 5:35pm
Scotland have only lifted the Calcutta Cup three times since the Six Nations began in 2000 but optimism is high ahead of Saturday's date with England.
Scotland were whitewashed in the 2015 Six Nations with five defeats from five but some impressive performances during the World Cup - including that one point defeat to Australia in the quarter-finals - puts them in a good place ahead of their Murrayfield opener.
England's failings at the World Cup are well documented, and while new coach Eddie Jones has not made wholesale changes to the squad, his focus on getting England back to their forward-dominant best has also seen confidence rise.
We look at five points to look out for when the two sides face off.
English underdogs?
Scotland's only win in their last 12 Six Nations games was a 21-20 win over Italy in Rome in 2014 and they have not beaten England since 2008.
Despite this, Eddie Jones has labelled Vern Cotter's side the favourites for Saturday's clash after the Scots narrowly missed out on a place in the World Cup semi-finals.
"It's so different us going up there as underdogs," said Jones. "Scotland had a fantastic World Cup - they have excellent coaching staff and will be well prepared.
"So for us it's a game where we can restore some pride in English rugby against a Scottish team on top of the world."
Cotter later laughed off Jones' claims.
"I don't know how Eddie works that out," said the Scotland coach. "It's just a psychological lever that he's trying to use, to take the pressure off himself."
"I gather that England are still ranked ahead of us by World Rugby. I didn't think England would need that, I thought they would be comfortable with the favourites' tag."
Sixes and sevens
The lack of a genuine fetcher appeared to plague England throughout the tenure of Stuart Lancaster, and now that Jones is in charge he has moved Chris Robshaw from the No 7 jersey into the No 6.
Taking over the openside duties for England against Scotland is Wasps No 6 James Haskell, who previously made his feelings on the matter clear.
"People have got so obsessed about seven, six-and-a-half. It's bull. It doesn't matter," said the 30-year-old.
"The most important part of a back-row is the balance and people have got to stop worrying about what numbers you've got on a shirt.
"You've got to each be exponents of all areas and this obsession with it has got to stop. It's not realistic. People haven't seen that the modern game has completely changed from what's in the past. A seven now has a different role."
Cotter obviously disagrees and has gone for two 'fetchers' with John Hardie in the No 7 jersey and John Barclay wearing six.
"On the floor and at the breakdown Hardie is playing outstandingly well," said Sky Sports pundit Will Greenwood.
"He will look at that England team and say 'they have not got a seven.' I think he will have a field day at the breakdown."
No more Mr Nice Guy
The rallying call for England is to 'find their devil' - find that intensity that means they do not take a backward step, and begin to rediscover that forward dominance that England were once known for.
"For Eddie, we have been too nice. In the past we have been a bit lax and now we have to find our motivation and reason to bring the devil," explained Billy Vunipola.
"If we lose a scrum and the opponents push us back then he wants us to have the attitude that 'next time you come around I'm going to smash you'."
England will be up against it at the coal face though - WP Nel was absolutely superb at tighthead during the World Cup and will relish the chance to get stuck into Joe Marler who seems to be lacking a little confidence.
The problem with Hartley
It remains to be seen if new England captain Dylan Hartley can find that intensity that Jones craves while remaining calm and on the right side of the law. The selection of Hartley should come as no surprise as the set-piece was an area that England really struggled with at the World Cup - an area that England usually dominate.
Hartley's experience and leadership is key to bring that dominance back and while a lot has been made of Hartley's disciplinary record and whether he has the right temperament to lead England, it is his staying power that is of concern.
Hartley rarely lasts the full 80 minutes with the in-form Jamie George coming on at some stage, and the lack of leaders in the England team could be a problem.
To combat that, Jones has named three vice-captains in Owen Farrell, Mike Brown and Billy Vunipola plus former captain Robshaw also has plenty of leadership experience, but will they step up in the heat of battle?
Tactics
Scotland may be optimistic but this is not an easy Six Nations for them - after England they face three away games against Wales, Italy and Ireland with their only other home game against France. Getting a win on Saturday is vital for them to get some momentum and they will be looking to target England anywhere they can.
The George Ford and Owen Farrell combination is really exciting in terms of how England are going to attack but is it also an area that Scotland can exploit?
"I love that midfield combination of Ford and Farrell but it could also be an area that Scotland could attack," said Greenwood.
"Farrell at No 12 is going to want to look after Ford and he likes to go chasing his hits. I think Scotland will look to get some moves in and around the No 10 and 12 channel to narrow England's defence.
"Jonathan Joseph is not at his best just yet so I think they will look to expose him on the outside by getting three or four runners going around the corner. But for that to happen Scotland's pack have to carry hard and their platform has to be solid."
Scotland: 15 Stuart Hogg, 14 Sean Maitland, 13 Mark Bennett, 12 Matt Scott, 11 Tommy Seymour, 10 Finn Russell, 9 Greig Laidlaw (c), 1 Alasdair Dickinson, 2 Ross Ford, 3 Willem Nel, 4 Richie Gray, 5 Jonny Gray, 6 John Barclay, 7 John Hardie, 8 David Denton
Replacements: 16 Stuart McInally, 17 Gordon Reid, 18 Zander Fagerson, 19 Tim Swinson, 20 Blair Cowan, 21 Sam Hidalgo-Clyne, 22 Duncan Weir, 23 Duncan Taylor.
England: 15 Mike Brown, 14 Anthony Watson, 13 Jonathan Joseph, 12 Owen Farrell, 11 Jack Nowell, 10 George Ford, 9 Danny Care; 1 Joe Marler, 2 Dylan Hartley (c), 3 Dan Cole, 4 Joe Launchbury, 5 George Kruis, 6 Chris Robshaw, 7 James Haskell, 8 Billy Vunipola.
Replacements: 16 Jamie George, 17 Mako Vunipola, 18 Paul Hill, 19 Courtney Lawes, 20 Jack Clifford, 21 Ben Youngs, 22 Alex Goode, 23 Ollie Devoto.