England Did Not Always Win The Calcutta Cup

IN this 21t century, the venerable Calcutta Cup has seldom travelled far from the trophy room at Twickenham, with Scotland managing a mere two wins in 15 games. Indeed, we haven't been able to keep the trophy at Murrayfield since 2008.

But, it wasn't always a case of England winning, indeed, this afternoon's clash for Rugby Union's oldest trophy, marks the 50^th anniversary of a significant, but now largely forgotten triumph. When the two teams entered the arena at Murrayfield, on 19 March, 1966, the Scotland team was seeking to retain the old pot for a third straight year, something they had not managed since 1927.

Scotland's 15-6 win in "Jim Telfer's Match" on 21 March, 1964, had given them possession of the Calcutta Cup for the first time since 1950. The match at Twickenham, a year later, looked to be heading Scotland's way, before Andy Hancock's legendary 95-yard sprint for an equalising try, in the fourth minute of injury time, saw the match end 3-3, but, as holders, Scotland took the trophy back up the road with them.

In truth, the 1966 match, like so-many in that decade, was grim stuff. England probably had the better of the scrums, but, they were forced into some illegal tactics to nullify the advantage which Mike Campbell-Lammerton, Peter Stagg and former basketball international Pringle Fisher gave Scotland at the touchlines.

A dour first half ended with Scotland leading 3-0, Colin Blaikie, deputising for the inured Stuart Wilson at full-back goaling a penalty via one of the posts and the cross-bar for the crucial score. This was wiped-out by a snap dropped goal from Moseley and England centre Colin McFadyean, but, the Scots would not be denied.

From Fisher's tap-down at the line-out tail, Melrose scrum-half Eck Hastie found his club-mate Davie Chisholm with a great pass; Chisholm breached the gain line and fed onto centre Brian Henderson. He too made ground, as did co-centre and captain Iain Laughland, before flanker and future Scotland coach Derek Grant of Hawick linked to release winger David Whyte of Edinburgh Wanderers.

Whyte was a former Great Britain sprinter and long jumper and he showed his pace with a sprint to the line, before diving under the tackle of England flanker Jim Greenwood, father of future World Cup winner Will, to score in the corner. Blaikie could not convert, but, the try was enough to ensure the Calcutta Cup would remain in Scotland's possession. It was his second try in the Five Nations tournament of 1966, he had scored Scotland's points in their opening 3-3 draw with France, again at Murrayfield.

The victorious Scotland team was: Colin Blaikie (Heriot's), Sandy Hinshelwood (London Scottish), Brian Henderson (Edinburgh Wanderers) Iain Laughland (London Scottish), David Whyte (Edinburgh Wanderers), David Chisholm and Alex Hastie (both Melrose); JD MacDonald (London Scottish), Frank Laidlaw (Melrose), David Rollo (Howe of Fife), Peter Stagg (Sale), Mike Campbell-Lammerton, Pringle Fisher (both London Scottish), Jim Telfer (Melrose) and Derek Grant (Hawick).

Five of that team – Hinshelwood, Laidlaw, Campbel-Lammerton, who was Tour captain, Telfer and Grant, plus the injured Wilson, went on the Lions' Tour to Australia and New Zealand at the end of that season, but, try-scoring hero Whyte had to be content with a place on the stand-by list of reserves, waiting back in the UK for a call which never came.

There are some famous names in that Scotland team – Laughland, Hastie and Chisholm, Laidlaw, Rollo, Campbell-Lammerton, Telfer and Grant, but, it was one of the unsung heroes, Whyte, who got the crucial score. Today, retired from teaching, the former St Andrew's University graduate lives in quiet retirement in Golspie, Sutherland, but, 50-years ago, he was very much the man who mattered for Scotland.

TO COME right up to date, what a boost Scotland got from the Under-20 side's four tries to nil win over their English counterparts at Broadwood Stadium last night. I know, with the shallowness which is their trademark, the Scottish media gave a lot of attention, pre-match to young Adam Hastings, son of Gavin, but, while the boy is undoubtedly doing well in the Bath development system, one or two of the key men in Scotland's win are turning it on, week-in, week-out, in the BT Premiership, and, as has been shown by the likes of skipper Scott Cummings, when asked, for Glasgow or Edinburgh.

The boilerhouse pairing of Cummings and his Glasgow Hawks team-mate Andrew Davidson is definitely one for the future. They are off the same lock production line as Shade Munro and the Gray brothers, Kelvinside Academy, which begs the question, just what are they putting in the school dinners at that august West End establishment?