The startling Scotland stat from famous Six Nations win over England that shows masterclass in efficiency

Scotland's Duhan van der Merwe scored two tries in the 29-23 win over England.

Scotland spent just one minute 44 seconds of the match in England’s 22. That they managed to conjure up four tries in that time says much about the ruthlessness and finishing prowess of a team that deserves great praise not only for their accuracy but for the way they kept their heads inside the noisy Twickenham bowl. By contrast, England enjoyed five minutes and 32 seconds inside the Scotland 22 which yielded only three tries, two for Max Malins and one for Ellis Genge.

It was a masterclass in efficiency from the Scots. England may have dominated territory (71 per cent) and possession (57 per cent) but it was the visitors who were 29-23 ahead when Finn Russell booted the ball high into Twickenham’s East Stand as the clock ticked past the 80-minute mark. Based on the stats, Scotland averaged a try every 26 seconds they ventured into the opposition 22 and none was more important than Duhan van der Merwe’s winning score with six minutes remaining. The big winger’s first try was an astonishing solo affair which he later said was his best ever, but the second perhaps best summed up a Scottish performance which mixed courage, coolness and overriding belief that the match was always within their grasp.

As Swing Low, Sweet Chariot boomed around the ground, and Owen Farrell’s penalty stretched England’s lead to 23-19 with 16 minutes remaining, Scotland’s conviction never wavered. Russell had already reduced the deficit to 23-22 with a penalty when he sparked the game’s decisive move. Kyle Steyn had made headway down the right and when he was held up Scotland quickly realised that space had opened up on the opposite flank. Sione Tuipulotu shipped the ball out to Russell who looked to his left and saw three eager Scotland forwards outside him. The ball was floated out to Fraser Brown and quickly moved through the hands of Richie Gray to Matt Fagerson who passed it on to the marauding van der Merwe who cut back inside before barging over with a combination of brute strength and dexterity as he stretched over the line. The Scots inside Twickenham were in ferment, an historic third successive Calcutta Cup was within touching distance.

Scotland scrum-half Ben White scored a try against England once again.

Gray’s role in the try was both fitting and vital. At 33, the Scotland coaching team believe he has never played better. His levels of fitness allowed him to play the full match and he still had enough awareness in the final minutes to shift the ball on so adroitly to Fagerson.

Gregor Townsend believes Gray’s return to Glasgow Warriors in 2020 after seven years in France has been instrumental in helping him reach his peak. His game-time can be carefully managed and he now comes under the auspices of Scottish rugby’s strength and conditioning experts. “Playing in Scotland has helped a lot,” said Townsend. “Getting physically back to where he was and even surpassing that, he’s in the best shape of his life. Mentally too, the ambition to play and the belief that he can play at this level. He’s probably our most professional player, first up in the morning to go to the gym and get himself ready for training, he’s doing all the recovery, like in the sea last week. But the belief. We were almost putting Chris Harris on for him because he was cramping up, but he stayed to the end.”

Townsend’s domination in this fixture is something to behold and we are now in danger of taking it for granted. We mustn’t. Scotland have only ever won six times at Twickenham. Townsend has presided over two of these as well as the 38-38 draw in 2019. He has never lost as head coach at England’s HQ. His overall Calcutta Cup record as coach is played six, won four, drawn one, lost one. It all began with the 25-13 win five years ago, Scotland’s first over England in a decade, which had Murrayfield rocking.

“I do think the 2018 game was a breakthrough moment,” said Townsend. “If you recall how well we played that day, everything stuck, the atmosphere was great. In 2019 we didn't get it right to begin with. A lot of that was me, in terms of the emotion that we went out to play in, we were all over the place. But the comeback, making breaks and scoring tries gave the team something. I would say it’s because of the group of players we have, and it’s not just England, we beat France home and away too. Yes, we’ve not beaten Ireland, but this team is capable of playing the big teams, and England are a big team. We talk about it more because we had such a bad record in the past, but the belief is important. The players had belief.”

None more so than van der Merwe. The devastating run for his first try left five England players flailing in his wake, with poor Alex Dombrandt clutching thin air as the winger surged over the line. This was fantasy rugby. Townsend compared it to the Jonah Lomu Rugby computer game of the 1990s where you could up your player’s pace at the flick of a switch. It put Scotland 12-5 ahead after Huw Jones and Malins had earlier exchanged tries but the visitors went in at the break 13-12 behind when Malins bagged a second and Owen Farrell added a penalty. Genge’s converted try early in the second half extended England’s lead to eight points before the resourceful Ben White conjured up a try from very little. Russell’s conversion brought the visitors to within a point but Farrell kept them at arm’s length with another penalty.

Scotland didn’t flinch. Russell responded with a penalty before van der Merwe applied the coup de grace. The trick now is to replicate the intensity, belief and ruthless efficiency when Wales visit Murrayfield on Saturday.