- Van der Merwe’s historic hat-trick
- Scotland secures fourth win
- England’s errors costly
Duhan van der Merwe scored a hat-trick as Scotland defeated England at Murrayfield to earn their fourth consecutive Six Nations victory, becoming the first player in history to accomplish the feat.
Last year, the formidable winger scored two spectacular tries at Twickenham, and this time he went one better.
Although George Furbank and Immanuel Feyi-Waboso scored well on their debuts for England, it was Van der Merwe’s clinical prowess that stole the show, with Finn Russell’s flawless boot keeping Scotland out of reach in a largely shoddy contest.
Both teams have two victories from three, with England hosting the unblemished defending champions Ireland and Scotland travelling to Italy.
Van der Merwe excels as Scotland rebounds from a shaky start. In 1896, under the reign of Queen Victoria, Scotland had not achieved four consecutive victories over England in this competition.
Furthermore, after seven meetings, Gregor Townsend’s record as head coach against England is five victories and a draw.
Scotland were slight favourites against opponents who had defeated Italy and Wales, based on those statistics, but the home audience was silent after 15 minutes as their team trailed 10-0 and committed error after error.
Following that, Van der Merwe came to life, illuminating the 130th Calcutta Cup.
Huw Jones and Sione Tuipulotu, both centres, formed a partnership in which the flanker collected an astute offload and returned it.
Following that, he scorched the left flank while Jones seized a Furbank miscue and prevented anyone from approaching him.
Scotland’s Strategic Turnaround
Early in the second half, Scotland were under pressure from a charged-down kick, but an overcommitted visitors’ team allowed them to advance thanks to a shrewd break from Cam Redpath, who replaced the injured Tuipulotu. Who was there to collect Russell’s well-placed punt?
A delighted Van der Merwe didn’t even need to halt his stride to amass and scamper across the finish line, as the bounce was ideal.
Scotland regained control with Russell’s third penalty attempt in addition to his three conversions.
The match’s player of the moment, Van der Merwe, received a late yellow card for a reckless challenge, which left him in a stunned state, but he quickly recovered his composure and resumed his teammates’ broad smiles.
England falters as errors begin to accumulate. Following Van der Merwe’s masterclass in finishing, English minds will be spinning.
Jamie George, making his debut a week after his mother passed away, guided the invigorated visitors to an early lead through his own exemplary conduct.
They were seeking to begin with three victories in a row for the first time since 2017. Their combative approach was rewarded when Furbank, an unexpected choice at fullback, completed a slick move with Scotland on the heels due to a wobbly scrum.
In the wake of Van der Merwe’s sudden first-half charges, George Ford maintained composure to narrow the deficit with a shrewd drop goal; however, an excessive number of his teammates lost their decorum in their pursuit of the game.
Scotland were seldom troubled until Feyi-Waboso later discovered a gap.
Townsend’s response to a “massive victory”
Gregor Townsend, head coach of Scotland, remarked, “Duhan van der Merwe shone today. He recognised the opportunities and pursued them.
The victory is enormous. It is a one-time occurrence; today, we were competing for the trophy, which is vital to us.
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Considering the upcoming two games, we can now assess our areas for improvement.
The fact that this group regained its composure and scored 30 points afterwards demonstrates their capability. We wish to reach the final week of the season with a semblance of progress and a chance to remain in contention for the championship.”
Steve Borthwick, head coach of England, remarked, “I thought the team started off well, but in the second quarter, we made a number of errors that allowed Scotland to score with ease; you cannot allow that to happen.”
Today was insufficient; we desired to triumph but were unable to do so. Considering our recent results, eight of the last nine were victories, but we were still aiming for a victory today.
We have the next two weeks to prepare for our journey to Ireland, during which we will strive to improve.
