Six Nations: Alex Mitchell determined to end Scotland hoodoo and win Calcutta Cup for England - 'We are hurting'
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Published 12/02/2025 at 21:24 GMT
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Alex Mitchell is hoping to end England's four-year fruitless spell against Scotland in the upcoming Calcutta Cup. After dramatically defeating France at Allianz Stadium, Steve Borthwick and his side are still in contention for the Six Nations title, their first since 2020. But Scotland stand in their way next, with England winning just one of the past seven meetings between the Auld Enemies.
Borthwick, Itoje reflect on England's dramatic win over France - 'Vindication'
Video credit: TNT Sports
Alex Mitchell admitted England "are hurting" in light of their four-year winless run against Scotland.
Steve Borthwick’s side bounced back from an opening weekend defeat to Ireland with a dramatic last-minute win over France in their latest Six Nations outing.
Gregor Townsend’s charges, meanwhile, also suffered a reverse at the hands of the champions, but hold an advantage over their next opponents given their recent shared history.
Scotland have won the Calcutta Cup four years in a row, their best run since the early 1970s, and Mitchell is determined to set the record straight on Saturday, February 22.
"We are hurting for the last four years at not getting a result [against Scotland]," Mitchell told BBC Sport.
"This Six Nations campaign is still up for grabs so it's a massive game for us.
"We know Scotland are a quality opposition with some quality individuals so we can't take them for granted.
"We know we have to just put a performance out there."
England have won just one of the previous seven fixtures between the Auld Enemies, with Scotland winning by an average 5.75-point margin in their last four victories.
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But Mitchell and his team-mates received a welcome injection of confidence at Allianz Stadium on Saturday, with Elliot Daly’s 79th-minute try proving decisive for England’s first win over France since 2021.
"The France defence was changing the whole time," Mitchell said on England’s last-gasp move.
"They had two defenders and then one as [Damian] Penaud was doing a really good job behind the maul covering both sides.
"We noticed a mismatch in the open so we shot that way and scored. You have a split second to try and make the right decision and luckily we did."
England have not claimed the Six Nations title since the delayed 2020 tournament, but with table-toppers Ireland yet to face France, there is a real possibility that Borthwick can end their five-year wait.
"We know we're a top side but the last few games haven't gone our way and we've lost a few by a last-minute try or a penalty so that's been frustrating," said Mitchell.
"We know we're a good enough side to beat the best teams in the world and that confidence we'll get from beating them is going to be massive for us.
"We've now got a fallow week to work on the mistakes and it's exciting how much we can do."
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