Last weekend's second round of Six Nations rugby saw Scotland extend their remarkable Calcutta Cup record with a statement win over England at Murrayfield.
Scotland bounced back from a poor opening day defeat in Rome and played like men possessed to demolish England in a dominant 31-20 win, reclaiming the victors' trophy and ending Steve Borthwick’s side’s 12-game winning run.
For those of us who originate from north of Hadrian’s Wall, watching Scotland’s national rugby team is a sometimes exhilarating, but more often a frustrating experience, with successive campaigns promising great opportunity but delivering precious little in reward.
Gregor Townsend’s oft-dubbed "golden generation" have consistently flattered to deceive in big events, exiting two of the last three World Cups early and managing two third-placed finishes in the Six Nations, despite many fans believing they had the potential to challenge for the biggest titles.
The one constant under Townsend’s watch, aside from a sense that opportunities to truly challenge have not been taken, has been the team's remarkable knack of turning it on against England.
Scotland's victories against England
Given Scotland’s largely mediocre form against their other Six Nations competitors, their record against England is utterly bizarre. Since 2018, they have won seven and drawn one of the last ten clashes between the two sides and they have only lost once at each stadium, but even at that, missed a last-minute conversion opportunity to triumph at Twickenham last year.
This year’s win was yet another famous Scottish victory in rugby’s oldest test match and was one of the best they have amassed in their recent run of wins. However, while the days following the match were undoubtedly fantastic for the Scottish support, you once again could not help but wonder how they would fare if they played in such fashion in the tournament’s four other tests.
For many, victory over England is the undoubted highlight any Six Nations campaign can deliver for those of a Scottish viewpoint, but too often they have required such statement wins to get their campaigns back on track after failing to deliver beforehand, having already left themselves clawing back lost ground.
While the Scots should cherish these wins, they must find a way to deliver consistently so that these results contribute to a greater overall picture, and do not just provide a highlight amidst wider disappointment.
What can we learn?
Sport provides its fair share of ups and downs and triumphs and disappointments. How reflective is that, and particularly so with this Scotland team, of our flawed walks in our Christian lives, and of those who went before us, who enjoyed moments of great growth and strengthening, amidst stumbling and faltering?
Sport provides one of the clearest mirrors which reflects our struggle as we strive to live better lives and become more godly, but always in the frustrating knowledge that we remain imperfect and inconsistent in that struggle.
However, there is a wonderful and encouraging difference for us; while it is far from certain, or even likely, that the likes of the Scotland rugby team will ever reach the pinnacle of the sporting mountain after many years of searching, we know the end of our story.
We know that our imperfect striving is only required for a time, until the Lord returns, and takes us to glory with Him, where we will enjoy perfect communion with Him and will no longer be plagued by inconsistency or strife.
As a long-suffering sport-loving Scot, while I take great delight in the fleeting successes which my teams amass, I take far greater encouragement and sustenance from that Biblical truth which, unlike sporting success, will never expire, but will provide the same joy and assurance forever.
