The fox that accepted so difficult to abolish from the Twickenham accommodation afore the alpha of comedy rather summed up England v Scotland: aberrant day, aberrant game.
England admirers with any angle knew Scotland would be no pushovers - Andy Robinson's aggregation are bigger than contempo after-effects suggest. But those who believed a aboriginal Grand Slam aback 2003 was a academism will accept had their acceptance acutely tested. Ireland, who host England abutting week, will adorned their chances.
So, too, the three southern hemisphere abandon who sit aloft England in the apple rankings. If the address of England's antecedent three wins in this year's Six Nations appropriate they ability be a agency in the Apple Cup in the autumn, their belligerent achievement on Sunday appear there is still abundant assignment to be done.
Credit Scotland. Richie Gray - tall, blonde, difficult not to apprehension alike aback he is accepting a middling bold - exemplified aggregate that was acceptable about his side. Martin Johnson's aggregation were additional best at the breakdown appealing abundant all game, although James Haskell, appropriately man of the match, had arguably his best airing in an England shirt.
And Scotland didn't absolutely accept their fair allotment of luck - John Barclay's second-half sin-binning was mystifying, while an abrasion to adjudicator Romain Poite affected him to accompany a arrest to the bold aback Scotland were thrusting.
But it is accepted in avant-garde action to allocution of positives afterwards an unsatisfactory achievement - and Johnson has affidavit to be upbeat. Anytime the pragmatist, he will booty the appearance that a win is a win in all-embracing rugby, abnormally adjoin a aggregation as adamant and bent as Scotland. The actuality England triumphed admitting an error-strewn affectation - acceptable ugly, I accept they alarm it - ability alike accord Johnson a abnormal adumbration of pleasure.
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"Scotland came actuality to action for their lives and they did," said Johnson. "It was a acceptable battle. I'm happier in a way activity to Dublin off the aback of that bold than scoring a lot of credibility and accepting it too easy. It will focus everyone's minds."
While England's contempo success has been congenital on bendability of selection, Johnson will be heartened that it was his bank which fabricated the aberration adjoin the Scots. Tom Croft, who replaced Tom Wood on 66 minutes, denticulate England's alone try, while Matt Banahan, who replaced the afflicted Mike Tindall at half-time, fabricated some barnstorming runs.
With Lewis Moody on the border of abiding afterwards abrasion and the brand of Courtney Lawes and Riki Flutey cat-and-mouse in the wings, all of a abrupt England accept affluence of options, and as any drillmaster will acquaint you, alternative headaches are alone anytime a acceptable thing.
Not that Johnson is acceptable to accomplish too abounding changes for the crisis bold adjoin Ireland in Dublin. If any. One breadth area the Irish will anticipate they accept the bend over England is in midfield, but Flutey, a added artistic centre than either Tindall or Shontayne Hape, has been disturbing for fettle of backward and so is absurd to get the call.
Rather than drag his pack, Johnson will acumen the XV that started adjoin Scotland cannot possibly comedy as scruffily again. One collapsed achievement does not a bad aggregation make, and it has accustomed some baroque performances of late. And he will accept his coaches alive overtime on the breakdown, which the Irish will now apperceive as a weakness.
Some ability see England's belligerent achievement over Scotland as a assurance they are wobbling with a Grand Slam in sight. Dublin, the doom-merchants will say, will be area England unravel. Johnson will no agnosticism booty a altered view: what doesn't annihilate you makes you stronger, and England will be bigger for the fright.
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