Why England coach Sir Clive Woodward hated coming to Edinburgh

The son of an RAF pilot, Sir Clive began school in Corstorphine as a boy before embarking on a rugby playing and coaching career that brought him back to the city for biennial internationals at Murrayfield.

However ahead of the opening game in this year’s Six Nations between Scotland and England at Twickenham, Sir Clive admitted the Calcutta Cup clashes away from home were the ones he loathed the most as England coach.

“I think England v Scotland – there is an edge to this fixture, whether there’s a crowd here or not,” he told ITV Sport. "When I was coaching England the place I hated going the most was Edinburgh.

"There’s just a grittiness and a nastiness about it. I think there’s an edge between the two teams. The crowd is missing, which is a shame, but I think there will be an edge to it.

"As the first game especially, whoever wins this game is going to have a great Six Nations. Whoever loses is going to have a tough tournament so there’s a lot at stake.”

The match, played behind closed doors as a consequence of the coronavirus pandemic, also commemorated the 150th anniversary of the first meeting of the two teams in Edinburgh, at Raeburn Place in 1871.

Both sides wore special commemorative shirts to mark the occasion.

Former England player and coach Sir Clive Woodward. (Photo by GABRIEL BOUYS / AFP) (Photo by GABRIEL BOUYS/AFP via Getty Images)

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