England A Shambles At Murrayfield

Six Nations Game 11 - Scotland vs England (15-9)

An early penalty for Scotland was an early reward, with Chris Paterson accurately kicking his 27th consecutive goal kick! The heavy mud and deluging rain can't have been easy. At the end of the first quarter, England Fullback Iain Balshaw and Rory Lamont slid to collect a ball. Instead, Balshaw's knee connected with Lamont's head, and there was a lengthy delay as the Scot was stretchered off, out cold. Later reports say he's OK but has gone to hospitals for checkups. He'll have a sore head, for sure.

The play was quite scrappy generally as the conditions continued to play their part. But Jonny Wilkinson [right] became Rugby Union's highest points scorer when he punted over another penalty, bringing the scores level at 3-3.

Andrew Sheridan gave away a silly penatly on the half hour - Paterson made it 28 kicks in a row and the Scots went ahead again 6-3.

The rain let up briefly, but then started again in earnest just before half time. So they played kicking ping pong for a while. With three minutes to go to the break, Jonny kicked his next penalty just short. In the last minute, Simon Shaw gave away another penalty, the Paterson kicking machine was on song and Scotland went in at half time 9-3 up.

The Scots got the perfect start to the second half with another penalty and England seemed to fall apart - they lost a couple of lineouts, they knocked on and kept infringing at rucks. The wheels came off the chariot. Whatever happened to the spark they showed in Paris? They were full of stodge.

Then Dan Parks [above] had a go for a long-range penalty which he punted over with confidence. At 15-3 down, England were definitely in trouble. Eventually they had a chance at goal in the 49th minute. Jonny's aim was good, and it was 15-6. Still trailing heavily, there didn't seem to be any creativity or ambition from the England squad, and the Scots took their chances where they could. Three minutes later, another 3 points for Jonny, gradually eroding the deficit to 15-9.

Going into the final quarter, England had a lineout in Scottish territory and made a bit of headway up the pitch. But then they threw a forward pass. A series of scrums went first one way, then the other. It was a dour old game, probably more interesting to watch paint dry.

In the 65th minute, England finally strung a few phases together in the Scottish half. But it was far from pretty. Scotland pinched the ball. Then won a penalty. And England's chances slipped away again.

Brian Ashton decided it was time to bring on the cavalry and it was all change from the bench. Scotland put together a decent bit of play, and Dan Parks looked like he was going for a drop goal, but it was charged down and England gained possession. Then Jonny was subbed by Charlie Hodgson [right] - it's a while since we've seen him in an England shirt!

With ten minutes to go, and a converted try required for England to snatch victory, England finally had a lineout in the Scottish half. But yet again, they couldn't string together a decent run of play.

So the game ended at 15-9, Scottish fans celebrated their Calcutta Cup victory and English fans are left wondering what sort of game they will witness next week in the final round against Ireland. Let's just hope it doesn't get any worse!

Oh Ye Of Little Faith!

Kickoff - I feel slightly sick!

Berwick Barnes's long kick in the 3rd minute just wouldn't go over the deadball line, and England took a dodgy 22m dropout, with Australia turning over deep in the England 22. The Aussies won a penalty but Stirling Mortlock missed the chance at 3 points. Seconds later, he had another go with a longer range kick, but less of an angle. No mistake this time, 3-0 to Australia.

The restart was much more promising, with the forwards chasing and wrapping it up. Mike Catt [left] kicked to the corner for Paul Sackey but he was taken into touch. The Australians took the lineout but England continued to pressure.

The first scrum was an Australian putin, but after two collapses, there was a bit of argey-bargey. It went down again at the reset, and again. The penalty went against England, despite looking like the gold shirt being the first one to buckle. Mortlock had a go at the posts from the helfway line, but it went very wide - perhaps justice was served.

George Gregan, making his record 139th appearance for Australia, snuck through a half-hole off a lineout, England defended and turned over in the Aussie's half. Keeping the ball alive, Twinkle Toes Robinson made a massive break up the middle. It went both ways across the field, England keeping possession. A couple of minutes of furious defence for the Australians, eventually they turned over. A good passage of play from England.

Australian lineout on the half way came back to them, but the loose ball was turned over and England pressed upfield again. The Aussie hooker made a shocking clearance putting them offside, and England won a penalty. Jonny did the honours to take them level after the first quarter. England looked sharper and the more dangerous of the two teams.

23 minutes in, Australia had another scrum. The same old story - collapsing all round. Finally, England won the penalty in the Aussie half. Wilkinson lined up the kick, and over it sailed - taking him to the highest points scorer in the history of the World Cup, surpassing Gavin Hastings' record and boosting morale for the Men in White - 6-3 up.

The restart was won by Australia but Mike Catt and Paul Sackey tackled furiously and the forwards turned over the ball. Daniel Vickerman was pinged for infringing in the ruck. Wilkinson lined up for the posts again: he couldn't quite make it through the sticks.

The 22m dropout was kicked over the English try line by Barnes. England looked much more lively at their own restart. Australia's lineout was solid in 30th minute, with Chris Latham making strides through the midfield. England had to drop back into defensive mode, with Loti Tuqiri breaking the line too. Then the Australian forwards had a go at inching up. Then through more hands and rucks, back to Tuqiri and the big winger went over for his first try of the tournament. Mortlock's conversion banana'd between the posts and Australia were 6-10 up.

Then at 35 minutes, Paul Sackey was taken out in the air, catching a high kick, and Adam Ashley-Cooper was penalised. Wilko kicked a huge ball downfield for a lineout and the England forwards rumbled on. The maul was brought down, but Wilkinson pulled the kick from out wide. Half time came soon after.

Mike Catt got himself a bloody nose just as the second half got under way, and then England won a penalty at the scrum. The next lineout was deep into Aus territory, but England were turned over. Then back again, and Wilkinson knocked on.

At 45 minutes, England disrupted the Australian lineout in their own half, and although the Aussies had the scrum putin, England disrupted well - almost winning against the head. England turned over, Mike Catt was unable to pickup without knocking on - but they were right under the posts.

The scrum was reset - 5m closer to the Aussies tryline. Andrew Sheridan was making mincemeat of the Aussie front row. They won the scrum - scrambled - but the clearance kick was a shocker, so England had a 5m lineout. The forwards went inching up the field, sniffing the line. Eventually it was flung wide, then back again. The Australians got themselves offside. Jonny Wilkinson had taken a battering during the play, so there was a short delay before he took the kick, and he scored the crucial three points to take them just one point behind, 9-10.

The restart saw Australia going into attack, but Nick Easter [right] fed off the scraps and turned over. The England clearance gave Australia a lineout, but that was immediately turned over. A bit of ping-pong later, Chris Latham tried for a long-range drop goal, but it went very wide.

Australia had a go at attack at 55 minutes, but England kept up their defensive discipline. England turned over and kicked back upfield for territory. The lineout was exactly on half way - it went loose and Matthew Tait kicked ahead to take England right up to the Australian line but they knocked on. England got the putin at 5m: a vital position to score.

Wheel on the replacements! The forwards drove towards the line and Australia infringed - 3 points were better than nothing, so Wilkinson lined up the kicking tee - England were ahead 12-10 and the Wallabies were beginning to creak, particularly at the scrum.

The green and gold came fighting back after the restart, they looked dangerous for a couple of phases and then knocked on. They got another opportunity, but Daniel Vickerman was seen to take out Andy Gomarsall [elft] well after he'd passed the ball, giving England the chance of a penalty, to kick deep into the Wallabies half.

At 63 minutes, Mike Catt was subbed for Toby Flood, a chance to see what the Newcastle boy could do. England took the catch right at the back of the lineout. Simon Shaw [right] powered up the pitch, with plenty of support for him. Josh Lewsey knocked on from a pass from Jason Robinson, but it was another avarage scrum for the Wallabies. England turned over, but had to kick to clear - the Aussie lineout was shakey, turned over from the back. Jonny Wilkinson attempted a drop goal but it went wide.

At 67 minutes, Australia were back on the attack, but Nathan Sharpe knocked on in England's half. Lawrence Dallaglio [left] was brought on in time for the scrum. Then Australia got another putin at 69 minutes - George Gregan was having trouble getting the ball in the tunnel with a collapse, and England won a free kick. They chose to take another scrum - it was a good call, given the dominance of the England forwards. It collapsed again.

After a bit of ping-pong with poor kicks, eventually Australia kicked long and it went dead over England's try line. Australia won the dropout and were on the attack again - Gregan knocked on and they gave away a penalty - time for Jonny to stand up for the kick right on the half way line. The most important kick of his career since THAT drop goal. It went just wide to the left.

Five minutes to go, and it was another kicking ping-pong scenario. The Wallabies won their lineout at the half way line. They kept pushing, England kept defending. Worsley gave away a penalty. Stirling Mortlock went to take the kick - but it didn't have the accuracy.

Countdown - two minutes to go, two points in it. Australia won the restart, then England tackled and knocked on. The scrum was on, Gregan feeding, but Autralia couldn't clear it far enough. England had the lineout throw, with twenty seconds to go.

George Chuter got the ball to English hands, but Australia turned it over somehow. The clock ticked over the 80 minutes, Australia knocked on, and the whistle blew!

So England have pulled off what many thought was highly unlikely - the Aussies go home and the Sweet Chariot can rumble on towards the semis in Paris next weekend.

It was a remarkable turnround from the 36-0 pumelling England got against South Africa just three weeks ago. They looked like a completely different side - competing at the breakdown, scavanging ball wherever they could and certainly getting the upper hand in the scrum. They tackled as if their lives depended on it, and that sort of defence can only stand them in good stead for the next game. Andrew Sheridan [left] was named Man of the Match, an indictment of the forwards' contribution to the win. But Australian supporters will spare a thought for George Gregan, retiring after the match with a mammoth 139 caps. I'm sure he'll be missed.

A Question of Sport - The Real Thing

One of my first blog entries way back on 23rd February concerned an evening called A Question of Sarries, which of course saw Scrum Half Kyran Bracken doing his marvellous impression of Sue Barker, getting trolled up in drag and acting as Question Mistress (see photo).

Last night I was fortunate enough to witness a recording of the real thing - as audience for the BBC's A Question of Sport. In 15 years of working for the BBC, I'd never been to a show recording (it doesn't really count when you're working on a live broadcast, you don't have time to watch very much!). The warm up comic was pretty terrible; some bloke from Canvey Island called Jeff. Wish we could have done without him, but once the show got going, it was very entertaining to watch.

Team captains were the usual Ally McCoist and Matt Dawson. Thought I'd throw in a gratuitous picture of Daws at this point. You can see him squaring up with three of his England pack, Andrew Sheridan, Phil Vickery and Danny Grewcock (not mentioned him in a while so thought I'd name drop again). Dawson seems to be saying "I'm as big as them!"

Anyway, I digress. Dawson's guests were Phil Tufnell and Martin "Chariots" Ofiah. They were both pretty funny; Tuffers was terribly silly at times. Ally's team offered us reigning World Snooker Champion - a painfully thin Scot with a weedy voice whose name I completely failed to remember. Plus Jason White, Scotland's Rugby Union captain and Flanker for Sale Sharks. My, he's a big lad, close-to! Hey presto, I've got a picture of him as well, seen here battling it out in the lineout with Ben Skirving during the Sarries vs Sharks match on 25th September 2005.

So it ended up a good-natured England vs Scotland competition. I won't tell you who won, that would spoil the surprise. But watch out soon for transmission, I have a feeling it might be Friday 2nd June. You might even spot me in the audience if you know who you're looking for!