1744: That is your lot from me though. Thanks for all your messages and tweets and make sure to head back on over this way next week. See you soon.
1740: You can continue to argue it out over how worthy John Barclay's nibble at the ball was of a yellow card, whether Mark Cueto's pass to Tom Croft was forward and how good Max Evans' score was on
Twitter.
Otherwise it is time to look forward to next week and a tasty final Saturday. This is how it is going to roll out:
Scotland v Italy 14:30
Ireland v England 17:00
France v Wales 19:45
1729: Scotland coach
Andy Robinson has said that "if our lineout was better and we hadn't given scrum penalties away, we think we would have won", while England manager
Martin Johnson has admitted "it felt like the longest game of all time, we were never comfortable and it was always tough." Full reaction stories from both camps are being put together now for you.
1722: England's women's team are currently out on the Twickenham turf and they lead their Scottish counterparts 5-0 after an early
Katherine Merchant try. You can watch the whole of that match on this website if you are in UK, it is at the top of the page.
1717: Steve Thompson overtook Brian Moore as England's most-capped hooker as he came on in the second half for his 65th England appearance. The Pitbull was full of praise for his successor. "All credit to Scots noone gave them a chance but they came here and performed manfully," he added at the end.
1713: More interviews from the tunnel and surrounds as coverage switches onto the Red Button.
Mike Tindall puts us right as to the reason for his withdrawal at half-time: "We're not happy with the way we played, especially in the first half but you've got to give a lot of credit to Scotland, they took us on. It's good to see when you're not playing that well you can still get those wins. It's a horrible thing having to come off, I just rolled my ankle. It's not worth risking for the good of the team when you've got someone like Banners [Matt Banahan] who can show what he's made of."
MCFortyUK on Twitter:
"English Grand Slam still on - just, but they will need the proverbial 'luck of the Irish' next time out."
1705: "That was probably one of the toughest games I've played at Twickenham. Scotland made our lives difficult. We had to impose ourselves and, at times, we didn't do that. I think the team dug in and showed character. The Grand Slam is a dirty word and we don't like talking about it!" adds man of the match
James Haskell.
1701 Jeremy Guscott on where England can improve: "I am going to keep saying it. England need to keep it simple, give it to Hape, attack the channels. There are several chances that they had and they should be highlighted by all the equipment they have nowadays that were wasted."
FULL-TIME ENGLAND 22-16 SCOTLAND Danny Care is sat at the back of a ruck and asks Andrew Small for a time-check. The referee nods and Wilkinson duly smashes the ball into row Z to signal the end.
79 mins: He makes no mistake this time.
Wilkinson puts it through the middle and his forwards reclaim the re-start.
78 mins: PENALTY: ENGLAND 22-16 SCOTLAND
77 mins: This might be it though. Prop Geoff Cross is whistled for bringing down a rolling maul and Wilkinson has a chance to extend the lead to six.
75 mins: Wilkinson attempts to buy England some breathing space with a drop-goal but is off-target and the game is still in the balance.
73 mins: Scotland rumble forward but look like they lack penetration needed to get over the final few metres, before
Max Evans takes matters into his hands. The winger chips delightfully over the top of the final line of defence, coolly collects and dots down for a great try. Bit of a wait while Andrew Small refers upstairs for no apparent reason, but
Paterson makes the conversion to put Scotland within three.
ENGLAND 19-16 SCOTLAND. 72 mins: TRY: ENGLAND 19-14 SCOTLAND 70 mins: Barclay is back on for the Scots now and Nick De Luca has replaced Joe Ansbro in midfield.
68 mins: Foden skips past Paterson on the left wing and the Scots are suddenly on the back foot. England pile back across the pitch and Cueto takes an aggressive line to hold the defence before shipping to
Tom Croft who has enough pace to outrun the covering Evans before ploughing straight over the top of Dan Parks on the line.
Wilkinson slots the extras.
67 mins: TRY: ENGLAND 19-9 SCOTLAND 65 mins: The benches are just about empty now. Deep breath. Thompson, Shaw, Croft and Wilkinson on for Hartley, Deacon, Wood and Flood for England. For Scotland Lawson is on for Ford.
64 mins: Looks for all the world like an England try before Chris Paterson's superb last-ditch tackle denies Ben Foden. It was a pacey break from Haskell and then Ashton that seemed to have put the full-back in for a run to the corner, but his Scottish opposite number drags him out of play over the final five yards. Brilliant.
62 mins: Almost half of Barclay's sin-bin up and England would have wanted to have made better use of it than they have so far. The Scots turn over a ball around their 22 and scrap up towards half-way before a rather aimless kick from Parks.
60 mins: Dan Parks drops back and snaps a drop-goal attempt that would level the scores. It is a horrible slice though, skewing well wide.
59 mins: More changes. This time it is referee Roman Poite who is heading for the sidelines after pulling up with a calf problem. Andrew Small is on in his place.
58 mins: It is a gimme for
Flood and England nose ahead.
58 mins: PENALTY: ENGLAND 12-9 SCOTLAND
56 mins: Scotland flanker John Barclay is dispatched to the sin-bin for attempting to wrestle the ball free from an attacking England player on the Scotland five metre. Looked a little harsh, Poite has been irritated by the help he has offered throughout.
55 mins: A raft of changes in the half-backs. Jackson and Lawson give way to Parks and Blair for Scotland while Care is on for Youngs at scrum-half for England.
53 mins: Scotland applying real pressure to the English line for the first time in the game. Max Evans burrows into Haskell's knees, before Ansbro picks one up off his bootlaces on the other wing. Easter manages to flick the ball out of a ruck with the toe of his boot though and Ben Foden clears his lines.
51 mins: Flood makes another error as he attempts to clear out a ruck, but comes in from the side and is rightly blown up by the referee. Geoff Cross is on for Moray Low in the Scotland front row.
49 mins: Scotland's line-out still misfiring a bit as Dan Cole nicks one on Ford's throw, but Flood lobs one forward as he attempts to spread play to Banahan. A crooked feed into the following scrum from Lawson and possession changes hands once more. All very messy from both sides.
48 mins: Pitchside reporter Jill Douglas relays that Kelly Brown is conscious and talking to medical staff after his blow to the head. Good news.
46 mins: Chris Ashton shanks a kick ahead straight into touch as he faces up to Danielli, but England have started this half strongly and Flood pumps a penalty up to the 22 to improve England's territorial hold.
45 mins: Ross Ford holds his nerve and finds his man when play eventually restarts. But England build the pressure as play sweeps from flank to flanks before a fumble from Palmer allows Lawson to put his boot to ball and find a way out.
43 mins: Play is halted while Scotland number eight Kelly Brown gets treatment after being injured attempting to challenge Banahan in midfield. The Saracens man is carried off on a stretcher and is replaced by Richie Vernon. We'll try and keep you updated with how Brown is doing.
42 mins: England cut through and it is almost a try. Flood flicks an off-load to Easter who rumbles on before shoving one out the side door to Chris Ashton, who pins his ears back but is eventually hauled down around the 22. Tom Wood is within a yard of the line off the recycled ball, but the Scots hold out.
41 mins: We are back underway. One change. Matt Banahan is on for Mike Tindall in the centres for England and it is a tactical change apparently. Interesting.
Former England captain
Lawrence Dallaglio: "Everyone probably thought Scotland were here to roll over and bring on a Grand Slam game for England but they forgot to tell the Scottish players, they are playing very well, England are not committing enough men to the break down and Scotland are making it difficult for Ben Youngs to get the ball away. They are good value for their draw at the moment."
Andy Nicol on Scotland's first half: "Defensively they have been sound and they have brought a bit of attitude to it, that has been missing before now in the championship."
40 mins: Simon Danellli chases after Lawson's well-weighted kick downfield, but Haskell does a good job of getting there first and securing solid ball in the shadow of his own posts. Scotland win the line-out that follows though and
Jackson drops into the pocket, takes his time and hoists a drop-kick, high and handsome, straight through the middle of the posts.
40 mins: DROP-GOAL: ENGLAND 9-9 SCOTLAND 38 mins: England briefly threaten out wide but Ansbro ties up Northampton team-mate Ben Foden and the loose ball is fly-hacked up towards half way by Jackson and England will have to build again.
36 mins: Hape and Haskell clean up some messy ball over the back before some Scotland hands in the ruck enable England to ease the pressure further as Youngs takes a quick tap and makes more yards.
33 mins: Max Evans intercepts Nick Easter's looping pass but can't escape the attentions of England's covering defenders. A flashback to yesterday's match in Cardiff as Dylan Hartley then attempts a quick line-out with the wrong ball on his own 22, this time the officials haul the players back though.
31 mins: Moray Low becomes the latest Scottish prop to be pinged for an indiscretion at the scrum and Easter heartily applauds the decision from the back of the England pack.
Flood obliges from the tee and England are ahead for the first time.
30 mins: PENALTY: ENGLAND 9-6 SCOTLAND 28 mins:A pair of half-breaks as first Chris Ashton runs a big loop around his own backline to take a pass off Mike Tindall on the opposite side of the pitch, before Toby Flood makes an incision from first receiver. Both smothered by the Scottish defence but a welcome something from the home fans to cheer.
26 mins:Flood levels after Nathan Hines fails to roll away from a tackle with Dylan Hartley.
24 mins: PENALTY: ENGLAND 6-6 SCOTLAND 21 mins:Paterson slaps a simple one between the sticks and Scotland are confounding some of those wilder pre-match predictions from the English media.
20 mins: PENALTY: ENGLAND 3-6 SCOTLAND
18 mins: Scotland rack up 14-odd phases of play and are up to the 22 when Roman Poite finally takes offence at some desperate-looking rucking from England and awards a penalty for offside.
15 mins:Flood has makes the most of a far easier attempt after prop Allan Jacobsen is penalised for an illegal bind. We are all-square.
14 mins: PENALTY: ENGLAND 3-3 SCOTLAND 11 mins: Nick Easter attempts an ambitious off-load and Ansbro snaps it up and carries the ball up toward the half-way line. But England have the penalty and send the ball down towards the corner.
8 mins: Chris Paterson jinks inside, feeds Brown but a promising Scots' move is over as Lawson fumbles the number eight's off-load. England force the Scottish front row skyward at the following scrum and are awarded a penalty chance to pull level.
6 mins: Tom Palmer rumbles the normally-secure Scots' lineout and a quick free-kick from Youngs briefly causes the Scots defence to scamper. England recycle, but a heavy-footed kick ahead from Mike Tindall sees the ball bounce harmlessly dead.
5 minsChris Paterson slots it from around 30 metres out and a little off to the left. England knock on from the kick-off and then are penalised for an over-eager engagement at the following scrum. They really aren't impressing Monsieur Poite.
3 mins:PENALTY: ENGLAND 0-3 SCOTLAND 3 mins Ross Ford misses John Barclay at the back of the lineout though by the Scots have an early chance at three points after the England forwards are off their feet at the ruck.
2 mins Mike Tindall is pinged by the French ref for holding on in the tackle after he is snared by Richie Gray. Ruaridh Jackson nudges Scotland downfield.
1 min Roman Poite gets us underway and Kelly Brown collects Flood kick and rushes into the white shirts.
1501: God Save the Queen follows and the teams head for their respective halves.
1500: A cymbal-heavy rendition of Flower of Scotland to my unmusical ears. The fox has been herded off the pitch as well, the little tyke.
1459: A minute's silence for the victims of the earthquake of Japan is observed and then applauded by the whole crowd.
1457: The pick of the pre-match entertainment is a rogue fox who scampers around the dead-ball area, before breaking upfield to the delight of the crowd. He is still skulking around near the 22-metre line as I type...
1446: A quick run-down on the team news for you all. In the
England camp everything is look very steady, Alex Corbisiero continues in the absence of the Andrew Sheridan, while Tom Croft is back fit, but cannot dislodge Tom Wood.
Scotland boss Andy Robinson dispenses with the 'Killer Bs' back-row and brings back Nathan Hines on the flank. Joe Ansbro, Simon Danelli and Rory Lawson.
1435: The BBC One coverage has just started with a beautiful, little montage of Scotland's 1983 win at Twickenham. John Beattie relating tales of post-match thievery and high jinks. Great stuff. Should be available for in the video console at the top there.
Calariffic on Twitter:
"If Scotland do the job, all will be forgiven. Looking forward to a 'walrus flop' rather than a 'swallow dive'"
1435: The BBC One coverage has just started with a beautiful, little montage of Scotland's 1983 win at Twickenham. John Beattie relating tales of post-match thievery and high jinks. Great stuff. Should be available for in the video console at the top there.
Steven in London via text: "Would love it if Scotland could turnover England at Twickers but it's unlikely as it's ever been. Fearing the worst at the moment."
1418: At Murrayfield it has been a different matter though. In addition to that landmark 1990 victory (see 1400), the Scots have racked up several famous wins over England in
2000,
2006,
and
2008.
The common denominator in all of those was a fair bit of rain. There was plenty of that around this morning at Twickenham,
but it looks set fair for this afternoon.
1410: Let's not pull any punches - Scotland's record down in south-west London is a stinker. They have won four times in 44 matches at Twickenham since first playing there 100 years ago.
1400: Afternoon all and welcome to the
swallow dive
against the
slow walk.
Flashy, free-scoring, England take on a determined, deliberate (who said pedestrian?) Scottish side hoping to rise to the big occasion and confound their highly-fancied Auld Enemy. It is the oldest rivalry in international rugby with England leading the way with 67 wins to 42. The latest instalment is an hour away.
~RS~q~RS~~RS~z~RS~15~RS~)
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