Andy Robinson relishes Calcutta Cup chaos

By DAVID FERGUSON
Published on Saturday 4 February 2012 02:20

SCOTLAND coach Andy Robinson has called on his players to bring chaos raining down on England at Murrayfield this afternoon as he bids for a first victory over his home nation in three years of trying.

Scotland have won and drawn their last three Calcutta Cup matches at Murrayfield, but Robinson heads into tonight’s opening RBS Six Nations Championship match with a new England squad and new coaching adversary on the back of a 2010 Murrayfield draw and narrow defeats at Twickenham and in the World Cup in New Zealand.

England have revamped their squad under the guidance of interim head coach Stuart Lancaster, with familiar faces Mike Tindall, Jonny Wilkinson, Lewis Moody and Simon Shaw among those now gone from the picture.

The England 22 named this week is far less experienced than the Scottish side, with three debutants and a captain in Chris Robshaw who has played only one international match.

But as Robinson surveyed a weather forecast predicting sleet and showers, he insisted that the best route to victory for Scotland remains similar to that which brought the 1990 Grand Slam, and the next Scottish win, in 2000.

The former England flanker and coach said: “I never played here at Murrayfield and the first time I coached here was in 2002, but the first time I ever came here was in 2000 to watch England get beat with Duncan Hodge scoring. You saw with the conditions the chaos that was created … fantastic.

“Having played against Scotland at Twickenham, and JJ [John Jeffrey] and Finlay Calder, I was involved with the chaos there. We’ve got to create that chaos in the way that we play, and I have to challenge the players to play that way.”

How that fits with his desire for control, composed heads and better finishing skills, elucidated often in recent weeks, Robinson added: “We need to be able to score when we create that chaos.

“Playing quickly is the key to this, whether it’s through quick tap-penalties, our handling game, the speed of ball at the ruck and moving the ball away. That’s where we’re at our best, playing right on the edge, and also creating mayhem in the England attack by the way that we defend. It’s a key characteristic for us in the way that we want to play the game, and it puts the players a little bit on edge as well because it’s about playing at a really high tempo.”

Asked if he felt the Murrayfield crowd would help his chaos theory to unnerve England, he smiled, before replying: “It’s a great stadium, the Scottish people are great people and support the game, and are passionate about their team winning, and if that creates an intense environment then fantastic.

“Emotion is important; it’s an emotional, passionate game. Every time that players go out I see emotion and passion there and that to me is a key part of playing the game.”

But England assistant coach Andy Farrell responded to the suggestion of mayhem by saying that the visitors will be ready for anything.

“Guys know, and Andy knows, the game takes its own shape as it goes,” said Farrell, whose son Owen plays centre for the England team today. “We know what he’s trying to do by saying that. We’ll be ready for any type of game that Scotland throw at us. There’s absolutely no doubt about that.”

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Jonnyboy

Saturday, February 4, 2012 at 08:43 PM

Yes, it was chaos.

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scarlett1

Saturday, February 4, 2012 at 10:22 AM

Good luck England and with me being English I think we are going to need it.

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