This boosted confidence for Saturday and I believe the senior team were genuine favourites, a situation we have not found ourselves in for a long time. Contrasting World Cup fortunes had buoyed confidence north of the border – and led to a new coaching set up and new Captain the other side of Hadrian’s Wall.

Eddie Jones is a shrewd Head Coach and his team were set up to snuff out the Scottish attacking threat. Selecting effectively two blindside flankers worked. The physicality of England’s defence prevented Scotland generating momentum. Allied to this, England were very effective at the breakdown. I have no doubt this verged on the illegal, however they rode their luck and forced turnovers at key times.

This was always going to be a close game, I’d called Scotland to win by less than five. Such games hinge on one or two key moments. The first came right on the 50 minute mark: a spark of genius by Mako Vunipola.

England had built some pressure and worked their way into the Scotland ‘22’. The Scottish defence was relatively comfortable although maybe one or two men light as England attacked our left side. You would expect them to cope but not many would predict the subtlety and precision of Vunipola. John Hardie made a defensive read and jammed in on Vunipola.

The majority of times against the majority of players this would be the correct decision. Around 15 metres from Scotland’s tryline receiving the ball from George Ford at first receiver, the focus should be to make yards and keep the ball. Not on this occasion. I’m sure we have all seen the deft pass that freed Farrell running behind Vunipola and created a simple two on one for Jack Nowell to finish.

It wasn’t a Sonny Bill Williams style one handed no look offload, but it was a deft touch in a game that was dominated by brawn.

The second key moment came seven minutes later when England were in a very similar attacking position. The score was 12-6 to the men in white.

Finn Russell intercepts a Ben Youngs pass and races out of the Scottish ‘22’. Ford looks to close him down as Stuart Hogg races up on Russell’s outside. I totally understand Russell’s decision. Scotland had been under pressure and he is looking to relieve it.

However, he will be disappointed he didn’t have a little look around, see Hogg and let him race the covering English defence the length of the pitch.

That was the last real chance. England’s tactic to suffocate us worked. Scotland wanted a fast paced, loose game to unleash our backs and display our higher skill set. England were happy with a one-paced physical battle. Despite parity in the set piece we couldn’t break free of the English headlock and they had the moment of magic that decided the game.

As a postscript I would like to congratulate Zander Fagerson on his first cap. The first player to be born in the professional era to play in the RBS 6 Nations for Scotland. A young prop who looked right at home in international rugby.

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