Gregor Townsend says Scotland must build on performance in narrow England defeat
The Calcutta Cup was seized from Scottish hands through a 16-15 defeat that would have ended differently had Finn Russell nailed a late conversion.
Scotland's narrow loss to England in the Calcutta Cup has left the team reeling, with head coach Gregor Townsend urging his players to build on their performance and use it as a catalyst for future success.
The match, which ended 16-15 in favor of England, was a closely contested and intense affair, with both teams giving it their all in a bid to claim the coveted Calcutta Cup.
For Scotland, the defeat was a heartbreaking one, as they had come so close to emerging victorious, only to be denied by a missed conversion from fly-half Finn Russell.
Despite the disappointment, Townsend was quick to praise his team's performance, highlighting the numerous positives that could be taken from the game.
"We're obviously disappointed with the result, but I'm incredibly proud of the team's performance," Townsend said in the aftermath of the match.
"We showed a lot of courage and determination, and we created some excellent scoring opportunities.
While we didn't quite get the result we wanted, I believe this performance can be a springboard for us moving forward."
One of the key talking points from the match was the performances of Scotland's players, with several individuals standing out for their impressive displays.
Finn Russell, despite missing the crucial conversion, was a constant threat to the English defense, using his quick feet and clever distribution to create chaos and uncertainty.
Meanwhile, the Scottish pack was impressive, with the likes of Zander Fagerson and Grant Gilchrist putting in massive shifts and causing problems for the English scrum and lineout.
As for England, their victory was a hard-fought one, with the team having to dig deep to emerge with the win.
Their coach, Steve Borthwick, was full of praise for his team's defensive effort, which he credited as being the key factor in their success.
"Our defense was outstanding today, and it's what won us the game," Borthwick said.
"We knew Scotland would be a tough opponent, and they threw everything at us, but our players showed a lot of resolve and determination to keep them out."
With the Calcutta Cup now back in English hands, Scotland will be looking to regroup and refocus ahead of their next match.
According to Townsend, the key to future success lies in building on the performance against England, and using it as a foundation for improvement.
"We'll take the positives from this game and work on the areas where we need to improve," he said.
"We'll keep working hard and striving to be better, and I'm confident that if we can do that, we can achieve some great things."