Johnson's side ready for 'big tussle'

The days when the Calcutta Cup was fuelled was by a “genuine hatred” between England and Scotland players may be long gone.

But Martin Johnson has warned England must still be prepared to battle for their Grand Slam lives against a “desperate” Scotland side at Twickenham tomorrow.

England, unbeaten after three games, are chasing their first RBS 6 Nations clean sweep since Johnson was captain in 2003.

They face a Scotland side coached by the former England boss Andy Robinson who are without a win in the championship and hurting.

Johnson said: “People anticipate a big Calcutta Cup game. There is one constant with Calcutta Cup games, no matter what the score has been. They are always a fight and a battle.

“The intensity of the game is what it is all about. England teams have that history with Scotland and when I was involved it was an edgy game.

“There was genuine hatred between the players, genuine dislike. It is nothing like it was then. That is why they call them the good old days!”

The 1990 Grand Slam clash at Murrayfield was played against the backdrop of the poll tax riots, with Will Carling’s England seen as the embodiment of Margaret Thatcher’s controversial policy.

“In that 1990 game England went for the Grand Slam and got beaten. There was a real edge there but the world has changed a little bit,” Johnson added.

“That went away at the end of the decade when they weren’t quite so competitive, but it is a classic game, a big tussle.

“When the players get out there tomorrow they will be into it, there is no doubt about it. Tomorrow we have to earn everything we get.”

Although Johnson relishes the 140-year history of the fixture, he has cautioned England against reading too much into the results of the last month.

The England boss has been encouraged by the grounded and determined response shown by his players following the 17-9 victory over France.

There has been no dictat, but the players are well aware that all mentions of a potential Grand Slam have been banned from within the camp.

“The stuff on the outside has been one thing but we are anticipating another really tough Test match and we have never felt any differently about it than we did at the start of the year,” Johnson said.

“The France game was a big, big match for them. The guys came through it and they weren’t happy with their own personal performances or the performance of the team.

“That is a good situation. Nobody is patting themselves on the back because no matter how big the game is, the key things don’t change.

“You do what you try and do every week, start well and execute from the start. They will try and quieten the crowd and put doubt in everyone’s mind.

“It doesn’t matter what Scotland have done in the last three games or what they have done in the autumn. They will battle and fight. We don’t expect anything different tomorrow.”

England have made one change from the victory over France, with Alex Corbisiero replacing the injured Andrew Sheridan at loose-head prop.

Johnson has used just 16 players in his starting line-up all championship, with Corbisiero and Sheridan the only players to be rotated.

Toby Flood has recovered from an Achilles problem to continue at fly-half, while Tom Croft returns on the bench following the fractured shoulder he suffered against South Africa in November.