Why England’s Calcutta Cup defeat felt so ‘frustrating’ – and raised two key questions

England’s hopes of a Six Nations grand slam charge came crashing down against Scotland SportRugbyRugby UnionWhy England’s Calcutta Cup defeat felt so ‘frustrating’ – and raised two key questionsEngland’s hopes of a Six Nations grand slam charge came crashing down against ScotlandHarry Latham-Coyle Rugby Correspondent Sunday 15 February 2026 18:00 GMTBookmarkCommentsGo to commentsBookmark popoverRemoved from bookmarksClose popoveropen image in galleryGeorge Ford of England (centre) reacts after the third Scotland try at Scottish Gas Murrayfield (Stu Forster/Getty Images)Your support helps us to tell the storyRead moreSupport NowFrom reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. 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There was a novel feeling to post-match proceedings as a side that had learned how not to lose remembered again how it felt to fall short; after an extended honeymoon period in the forging of a new identity through a run of 12 wins, here was the sort of showing that Steve Borthwick’s side had perhaps been due. Cue talk of a learning experience, of taking the positives, of building back better, a once-familiar script returned to. “It is frustrating,” centre Fraser Dingwall said, before belabouring the point, using that word seven times in two minutes as he collected the thoughts of a muddled mind. He, and the rest of his England colleagues, could identify what went wrong – aerial inferiority, red-zone inefficiency, high-profile errors – but not really articulate why. The straightforward solution would be to strike a performance like this from the record; a setback, yes, but an aberration when viewed as part of a rather more positive body of evidence 12 months long. Yet as England gathered after the match, there must have been a galling feel of another haunting night at their Edinburgh house of horrors. Why always here? Why always them? “I think if you look at Scotland, obviously they had a frustrating result last week against Italy, but they bounced back really well and they’re a quality side,” the scrum half Alex Mitchell suggested. “They've showed that for the last couple of years. We’ve not got a result here in however long, but it’s one of them. It’s tough to take.”open image in galleryAn anguished Alex Mitchell reacts to a tough day for England (Stu Forster/Getty Images)A few have suggested a sort of English exceptionalism was the bedrock to the suggestion that a grand slam charge might be on, but it would be wrong to say that there was not sound reason for a belief in their upward mobility. Frankly, it was hard to see a performance – and result – like this coming based on the last 12; disaster had not exactly seemed around the corner. Which may make it all the more frustrating when Borthwick brings his squad together on Monday morning for what could be a tricky review. There was a real sense that if England could overcome their Edinburgh “bogey zone”, as Ben Earl termed it, they could carry momentum through the rest of the championship.open image in galleryHuw Jones scores Scotland’s fourth try during the Guinness Six Nations match (David Rogers/Getty Images)Now, where are they, and what are they? There will be twists and turns to come yet in this Six Nations campaign, but it is now six years since England beat any of Ireland, France or Scotland away from home in the championship; this is their finest side in that span and yet still it feels the fact that holds them back. Looking even beyond Paris on the final weekend, there is a jaunt to Johannesburg in July – the Springboks might have watched this with eager interest. RecommendedScotland stun England as Calcutta Cup horror show brings winning run to a shuddering haltScotland boss Gregor Townsend sends message to critics after Calcutta Cup victoryScotland’s Calcutta Cup glory can ignite Six Nations challenge – Sione Tuipulotu“I always will try and review a game from a neutral standpoint,” an admirably clear-eyed Dingwall said. “I think that after a win or a loss, you’ve got to be incredibly honest so you kick on and grow and develop, irrespective of the result. As ever, there are parts that won’t be as bad as you think they are, but there are parts that will be tough to watc