The day England’s WAGS wound up the Scots
Scotland legend Iwan Tukalo has recalled how the sight of England’s wives and girlfriends on the hallowed Murrayfield turf got the blood boiling before it properly kicked off in the 1990 Grand Slam decider.
Already fired-up by an emotional squad gathering and ‘Everest-type’ speech by coach Jim Telfer, Scotland left their base at the Braid Hills Hotel in Edinburgh determined to send England home to think again.
But further fuel was added to the pre-match fire when Scotland’s players spotted their opposite numbers’ partners being interviewed live on TV in the corner of the pitch.
One of the magic #CalcuttaCup moments….
A wonderful back-row move as well!!! @ScotlandTeam #GuinnessSixNations pic.twitter.com/wTrKN5zRvo
— Guinness Men's Six Nations (@SixNationsRugby) February 8, 2020
“Before kick-off, we went out on the pitch in our blazers as normal to see what the conditions were like and we could see, over in the far corner, the girlfriends and wives of the England team being interviewed on TV. That was another thing that fuelled us because, in our mind, they hadn’t earned the right to set foot on the sacred turf of Murrayfield,” the winger recalled in the My Life in Rugby column, published in The Rugby Paper last month.
Tukalo, who scored 15 tries in 37 Tests and started all four matches in the Grand Slam-winning campaign, also described how the biggest day of their rugby lives had started much more serenely.
Telfer and fellow coach Ian McGeechan had shielded the players from the Press in the week and instead thrown the spotlight on England as the favourites to complete the clean sweep.
But as Tukalo and room-mate, David Sole, packed their bags to prepare to go downstairs to one last team meeting before departure to Murrayfield, they were left in no uncertain terms about the magnitude of the match.
“We were warned off talking to press to make sure we didn’t give England any ammunition, while all the time the coaches talked them up,” Tukalo recalled.
“On the day of the game itself. I was sharing a room with David Sole at the Braid Hills Hotel and Soley, who didn’t say much at the best of times, was quieter than ever. You could hear a pin drop and that was making me more and more nervous.
“So I asked him if he minded me putting on the TV as a distraction while we started to pack our bags, The credits for Grandstand started and the programme opened up with a montage of great Scotland-England sporting encounters. We stopped what we were doing and looked at each other and went “oh my god!”. It suddenly dawned on us how big a deal it all was.”
Tukalo added: “When we went down to the team room, there was a Scotland jersey placed on each of the chairs in a circle, one for each player. The number wasn’t showing, just the thistle.
“Creamy (Telfer) told us to sing ‘Flower of Scotland’ and after we’d done that, he told us to pick up a jersey and present it to the relevant player. I got No.6, JJ’s (John Jeffrey), and as I gave it to him, I said, ‘I won’t let you down, I’ll be there’.
“When we all walked out of that room, we knew that each and every one of us was not going to leave anything out on that park. In our mind, it was our day, come hell or high water. I’m getting emotional thinking about it now.”
Sole’s slow march out of the Murrayfield tunnel is the stuff of Calcutta Cup legend and Tukalo, who was the last in line, says the noise of the crowd that day will stay with him forever.
“I was the last in line as always; it was a superstition of mine. So by the time I made it onto the pitch the noise was just incredible.
“I’d played at Murrayfield several times before but I had never heard anything like that. The crowd never let up throughout the 80 minutes, every yard of ground we made they were behind us.
Tony Stanger’s try and three Craig Chalmers penalties were enough to beat an England team that went up blind alley after blind alley, only creating one real moment of magic in attack when Jerry Guscott broke through to score.
“A combination of the crowd, everyone giving 120 per cent and England getting transfixed on trying to do stuff they wouldn’t normally do, helped us to get us the (13-7) win,” said Tukalo, who’s 5’9 tall and weighed around 12 stone at the time.
“I’m just glad it was Tony Stanger who got the chance down his wing because I’d have never been able to reach up that high and grab the ball, the short arse that I am!”
Comments on RugbyPass
Best thing the Welsh clubs could do is apply to join Gallagher prem surely be more exciting matches for there support than they have now.
2 Go to commentsRugbyPass writers are useless! you guys should get a real job because you all suck at writing about rugby!!!
8 Go to commentslooking forward to RWC2027 …. Boks on mission impossible for the Three-in-a-row, ABs to prove they being on par, France wishing to crown the “DuPont-era”, Ireland knocking on the Semi-Door ….. until then we’ll probably have to deal with Weird Ben’s fantasy-RWC23 (fun fact is, the drivel always creates a flooding of comments) …..
221 Go to commentsBen Smith you really make some good points in this article, the Springboks were not close to perfect and good still beat the All Blacks, imagine if they were as good as they were against France what a hiding the All Blacks would have gotten… maybe another Twickenham drubbing
221 Go to commentsIt is a good argument to keep the Rebels for one more year but also isnt this just opening the door as well for keeping them beyond 2025. If they can create some sort of financial stability in the next year and if their performances lift as they have this season then how would RA even cull them after that? It might be the most cost effective decision at this stage and perhaps many people are guilty of keeping relationships going because of the cost to decouple but then again when does that ever work out well?
23 Go to commentsDear Ben Smith you are a genius! God please become the next all blacks coach that can take on the mighty BOKS. Your rugby acumen is second to none - imagine your dads sperm bounced as unfortunately as that oval ball did….we would not be blessed with your presence. Just as the all blacks were missing a man you too are missing a chromosome for 80% of your life, so your insights are not only profound but ring true from your own experiences. Just as the TMO interfered with citing an illegal pass I am sure your local authorities interfere with your illegal passes you make on women - How dare they!!! God forbid that rugby be officiated fairly. You are the right man for the job. Next all blacks coach is here ladies and gentlemen Miss Ben Smith (He/She/They/IT)
221 Go to commentsHuge engine this guy and great to see him back ..The amount of clean outs he does at the ruck are ridiculous !!
3 Go to commentsThe level of desperation in this article is just embarrassing.
221 Go to commentsSome silly trolling in the comments.
9 Go to commentsEverywhere you turn some irish journo is advocating Ireland as the greatest, reasoning that the wc is a 4 year cycle event so, they say wc doesn’t matter it’s the rugby in between that should account for the accolade. If there was no wc then some substance could be gained, however in my opinion the moment that defined Ireland’s fate against the abs was 37 phases of repeated head bashing against a brick wall. If a change in strategy or a tinker with the game plan was executed then things could've been vastly different. And to point a finger the let down was in the hands of the number 10.
64 Go to commentsI have heard it asked if RA is essentially one of the part owners and I suppose therefor should be on the other side of these two parties. If they purchased the rebels and guaranteed them, and are responsible enough they incur Rebels penalties, where is this line drawn? Seems rough to have to pay a penalty for something were your involvement sees you on the side of the conned party, the creditors. If the Rebels directors themselves have given the club their money, 6mil worth right, why aren’t they also listed as sitting with RA and the Tax office? And the legal threat was either way, new Rebels or defunct, I can’t see how RA assume the threat was less likely enough to warrant comment about it in this article. Surely RA ignore that and only worry about whether they can defend it or not, which they have reported as being comfortable with. So in effect wouldn’t it be more accurate to say there is no further legal threat (or worry) in denying the deal. Unless the directors have reneged on that. > Returns of a Japanese team or even Argentinean side, the Jaguares, were said to be on the cards, as were the ideas of standing up brand new teams in Hawaii or even Los Angeles – crazy ideas that seemingly forgot the time zone issues often cited as a turn-off for viewers when the competition contained teams from South Africa. Those timezones are great for SR and are what will probably be needed to unlock its future (cant see it remaining without _atleast _help from Aus), day games here are night games on the West Coast of america, were potential viewers triple, win win. With one of the best and easiest ways to unlock that being to play games or a host a team there. Less good the further across Aus you get though. Jaguares wouldn’t be the same Jaguares, but I still would think it’s better having them than keeping the Rebels. The other options aren’t really realistic 25’ options, no. From reading this authors last article I think if the new board can get the investment they seem to be confident in, you keeping them simply for the amount of money they’ll be investing in the game. Then ditch them later if they’re not good enough without such a high budget. Use them to get Jaguares reintergration stronger, with more key players on board, and have success drive success.
23 Go to commentsYeah, and ours is waaay bigger than yours. Just as you's get a semi…oh hold on that never happens
64 Go to commentsLove watching
1 Go to commentsThe Melbourne Rebels lineout is a complete disaster so not surprisingly a kiwi coach of the Wallabies hires the worst lineout coach in the country and a foreigner to boot. No surprises whatsoever here…….
6 Go to commentsThank your for wasting 2 minutes of my life Daniel. There is a useful message in there somewhere but your delivery sucks.
8 Go to commentsBen Smith, you are cry baby
221 Go to commentsSux that homophobia is still a thing though. I wonder how many players who could have become legends never kept playing rugby because they felt unwelcome.
8 Go to commentsCrazy he’s only 28, feel like he’s been around forever - don’t mind the move, safe pair of hands and creates depth in a thin position for ABs. Hopefully aides Kemara’s growth also without thrusting too much responsibility on him
1 Go to commentsMen should show strength and be mean, but they should be able to show emotion to those close yo them in certain times, birth of your child, death of family, proud moment. This article is stupid
8 Go to commentsWhat a weak article…absolute drivel and clickbait, well done. Will stick to rugby365 thanks
8 Go to comments