Taking you back to the year 2000 for a Calcutta Cup clash

Ahead of the match here is a reminder of this classic encounter by setting the scene, sharing the team news and some post-match key quotes.

Setting the scene

The first year of the Six Nations Championship, following the addition of Italy from the Five Nations. England visited Edinburgh looking to win a Grand Slam having gone unbeaten in their four previous rounds. Scotland had yet to register any points in this Championship and had a 26-18 defeat from Wales fresh in their minds, but a win against England would give everyone involved with Scottish rugby a huge boost. From start to finish, Scotland looked a different side to the team that had played in the four previous rounds. Competing with an English side that had already scored 19 tries in the Championship and were looking to secure their Grand Slam.

The teams

Here are both of the teams for the Calcutta Cup match on 2 April 2000:

Scotland: Paterson, Moir, Townsend, McLaren, G. Metcalfe, Hodge, Nicol (C), Smith, Brotherstone, Stewart, S. Murray, R. Metcalfe, White, Pountney, M. Leslie.Replacements: McIlwham, G. Scott, Grimes, Reid, Redpath, Shiel, A. Bulloch.

England: Perry, Healey, Tindall, Catt, Cohen, Wilkinson, Dawson, Leonard, Greening, Vickery, Archer, Shaw, Hill, Back, Dallaglio. Replacements: McCarthy, Woodman, Corry, Worsley, Gomarsall, King, Balshaw.

The action

Scotland registered the first points on the board as Duncan Hodge kicked them into a 3-0 lead after 19 minutes, from a penalty after Scott Murray was taken out in an attacking line-out.

England’s reply was quick and they scored through Lawerence Dallaglio, which was successfully converted by Jonny Wilkinson.

James McLaren was then sent to the bin for a high tackle, taking Scotland down to 14 men and the resulting penalty was slotted over by Wilkinson.

Before McLaren returned, a penalty offered the chance for Scotland to get back on the scoreboard and reduce the gap to four points. Another penalty before half-time, once again booted by Duncan Hodge meant Scotland trailed by just a single point at the break.

Hodge kicked another penalty in the second-half, before scoring and converting a crucial try after 70 minutes to give Scotland a 19-10 lead, with all the points coming from the fly-half.

There was a tense finish to the game as Wilkinson slotted a penalty, but the Scots held out to the end for a famous Calcutta Cup victory, winning 19-13 on home turf.

England were denied their Grand Slam for the second year on the trot by Scotland in the final moments of the Championship.

After the whistle

After the whistle, Scotland Head Coach Ian McGeechan said: “We knew if we could just hang on we could do it. And the guys were magnificent. They stood up and were counted”