We’re a desperate team – Scotland captain Tuipulotu

If Scotland come out fighting as Sione Tuipulotu did in his pre-match media conference before the Calcutta Cup meeting with England, the home side might just have a chance at Murrayfield on Saturday.

The captain is clearly still hurting after last weekend’s nightmare start to the Six Nations in Rome, when Italy outsmarted Scotland at a sodden Stadio Olimpico to claim a deserved victory.

The 29-year-old is famously honest in his media interviews, avoiding the sort of platitudes that normally come spilling out of players and coaches when their backs are against the wall.

On Friday, the Glasgow Warriors centre pulled no punches on how tough a week it has been after Rome and how Scotland are now “a desperate team” as their Six Nations hopes dangle on the cliff edge.

He acknowledged there must be a reaction against England but also emphasised that Scotland still have belief and confidence in themselves despite a run of damaging results.

There is a lot of tension around the Scotland set-up at the moment, but if they are to turn this situation around, they need the fans – many of whom have become weary and sceptical – to come along with them.

“It’s obviously a game that means a lot to the country, and one that we really lean into,” Tuipulotu said.

“Ever since I arrived in Scotland, I know this is the biggest fixture of the year for everyone, for the supporters especially. So, it’s a game that we need to go out there and show up ourselves, for our supporters mainly.

“That’s my main message – although the last three or four games have been really tough for especially us, there’s a lot of supporters that haven’t quit on us.

England arrive at Murrayfield with the wind at their backs. They are on a 12-game winning run and are starting to build the kind of aura that has been lacking in England sides in recent years.

Tuipulotu drew comparisons between his side’s current predicament and that of England not so long ago.

The big results were not coming and Steve Borthwick’s future as head coach was being questioned – although perhaps not to quite the extent that Townsend is being questioned now.

The hope is another Calcutta Cup victory – which would be a fifth in six years – can be the spark for a similar revival for Scotland but, in the here and now, only a win will prevent their Six Nations challenge being dead in the water after round two.

“We’re playing for our championship on Saturday, there’s no doubt about that,” Tuipulotu said.

“You can’t lose two games in a Six Nations and expect to be in contention at the back end. So, yeah, we’re a desperate team at the moment, and I want to see that desperation in the players.

“Definitely on their run of form, they deserve to come in really confident, but Calcutta Cup matches are often a little bit different and it doesn’t really matter what form any team are coming with.

“It’s kind of like a derby match when you’re playing club ‘footy’. You wonder why those games are so tight if you look at the form coming into them, and it’s because there’s a lot on the line.

“I’m expecting to see an emotional England team and I’m also expecting to see an emotional Scotland team.