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England player ratings vs Scotland | 2026 Guinness Men’s Six Nations
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Scotland player ratings vs England | 2026 Guinness Men’s Six Nations
Scotland player ratings: Murrayfield will remain unconquered for another year by England, as Scotland triumphantly beat their Six Nations nemesis 31-20 to the elation of a packed Murrayfield.
Scotland were dominant from the get-go, dictating the law of the land and completely picking apart the opposition to give Gregor Townsend some breathing space after their loss in Italy.
Finn Russell was up to his usual tricks, while the lock pairing of Gregor Brown and Scott Cummings was key to turning off the English maul. Here’s how the players rated:
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1. Nathan McBeth – 2
Not a good day for either of Scotland’s starting props, as McBeth and Zander Fagerson caved thrice in the scrum, giving England a foothold in the game in a moment when the visiting side was under heavy pressure. Didn’t miss a single tackle, but his poor scrum performance was a lingering issue for Scotland.
2. George Turner – 7
Good performance from the Harlequins hooker, as Turner didn’t miss a single lineout throw-in and was always on high alert with England’s lineout moves. Tried to stabilise the scrum, but Genge and Heyes made the veteran front-rower’s life difficult in this area.
3. Zander Fagerson – 3
Like McBeth, Fagerson was also responsible for Scotland’s scrum woes, with the experienced tighthead prop struggling to fend off Ellis Genge. Bagged more than a couple of dominant tackles and looked dynamic off-the-ball, but the three scrum penalties almost brought England back to life.
4. Gregor Brown – 8
It won’t get the highlight it deserves, but Brown and Scott Cummings’ work to deny England a second maul try was one of the moments of the game, as both locks legally held Ollie Chessum to stop the visitors on their tracks. Brown was tireless in helping his team keep a tidy defence, claiming tackle after tackle to get back on his feet quickly and ready to fend off the English opposition again.
5. Scott Cummings – 8
As already stated in Brown’s rating, Cummings involvement in denying England a second finish was a formidable moment that helped his team claim a sensational victory over their long-time rivals.
The lock’s set-piece knowledge boosted his side’s chances of leaving Murrayfield as the winners, and wrapped up the match with 18 successful tackles, two of which ended in the opposition’s unforced errors.
6. Jamie Ritchie – 6
A mixed bag game for Ritchie. The USA Perpignan blindside flanker banked his side’s second finish of the game, but then went on a penalty spree, allowing England to creep back into the game. Was subbed off in the break due to injury.
7. Rory Darge – 7
It might’ve looked like a quiet game from the 26-year-old back rower, but Darge’s off-the-ball work was sensational, forcing England to involve more players in the ruck than they had originally wanted. Collected 17 successful tackles, won one turnover and finished as the forward with the most gainline wins per carry.
8. Jack Dempsey – 7
Didn’t have the same impact as Darge or the lock pairing, but Dempsey’s physicality was the cornerstone to make the English pack’s life hard, as the Glasgow Warriors No.8 made sure to not give an inch of space to Ben Earl or Sam Underhill. He was substituted with 25 minutes remaining, having performed his role effectively.
9. Ben White – 8
Sternly and wisely steered the Scottish ship to promising tides, precisely needling a weave of passes that allowed for the home side to settle down their strategy. He made a minor passing error in the first half but promptly recovered to assist his team in regaining momentum, ultimately scoring following a punt from Finn Russell.
10. Finn Russell – 10
The Scottish genie broke free from his shackles and set the 2026 Calcutta Cup clash alight! Russell’s slap pass for Huw Jones’ try was a joy to behold, with the fly half putting out one of the best performances in the last few years. His decision to run with the ball in what seemed an innocuous carry would unlock Scotland’s third try of the game, creating not only space but also punting a perfect kick gathered triumphantly by Ben White.
There are a few players with Russell’s star power, and the Scottish legend made sure to remind everyone of that.
11. Jamie Dobie – 7
Despite finishing with fewer running metres than Kyle Steyn’s, Dobie was a slippery eel, evading the English defence twice to set up two of Scotland’s best plays in the opening half of the game.
12. Sione Tuipulotu – 7
Smart early kick, pushing his team to go deep into England’s territory, Tuipulotu’s work came down to narrowing down England’s range of opportunities and linking his team’s attack when Russell or Steyn weren’t able to pierce through the English wall. That sensational wide pass to Ritchie’s try set the tone for what followed next, with Scotland’s skipper leading his team through thick and thin.
13. Huw Jones – 9
In the opening half, Jones didn’t have any opportunities to carry the ball aside the game’s opening try, with much of his time spent in exchanging passes between his back line partners and closing well any England attacking opportunities. However, in the second half, the experienced centre would get the chance to dip his toe as an attacking operator, bagging the locals’ fourth five-pointer and adding another break later on.
Made a try-saving tackle to deny England again what seemed, at the time, second consolation try for the visitors.
Seemed unstoppable at times and was one of Townsend’s best in tonight’s memorable win.
14. Kyle Steyn – 8
Possibly one of Steyn’s best performances for Scotland, as the wing was a continuous threat, claiming more than 80 running meters and evading and side-stepping ten English defenders to push his team deep into England’s own half. The wing was untroubled by England’s high kicks, gathering the ball with ease and excellence, one of which led to Henry Arundell’s red card.
15. Tom Jordan – 7
Tidy, calm and composed, Jordan held his own against England and combined well with Russell, with both cleverly returning Ford’s deep kicks enabling their teammates to pursue the ball successfully.
Replacements
16. Dave Cherry – 6
Picked up where Turned had left, completing a flawless game.
17. Pierre Schoeman – 6
Although Schoeman caved once in the scrum, he was quick to figure out a way to fight back against the England front row, winning a scrum penalty later on to inject some energy into the Scottish pack.
18. Elliot Millar-Mills – 6
More stable than Fagerson come scrum time, performing well where his team needed the most.
19. Max Williamson – 5
Didn’t make any mistakes and held his own in the set-piece.
20. Matt Fagerson – 7
Matt Fagerson replaced Jamie Ritchie after the break and made an immediate impact by successfully blocking George Ford’s drop goal to regather the ball, then assisting Jones for another of his side’s finishes.
21. George Horne – 6
Didn’t have the same input as White, but made some key passes that allowed for Scotland to keep their momentum going.
22. Adam Hastings – N/A
Played only five minutes, making it impossible to rate his performance.
23. Darcy Graham – 6
A clean break, a few defenders side-stepped, and a try-saving tackle. Good showing from Graham.
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