England have been put on notice ahead of their clash with Scotland, a team that has dominated them in recent years, winning six of the last seven Calcutta Cup matches. Two names consistently haunt England’s efforts: Finn Russell and Duhan van der Merwe. Barring any fitness issues, this dynamic pair will take the field in London on Saturday, ready to test England once again.
Russell, the crafty fly-half, has orchestrated many of Scotland’s finest moments with his deft touch, while Van der Merwe has been a wrecking ball, shredding English defenses over the past two years. His standout performances include a brace of tries at Twickenham two years ago and a hat-trick at Murrayfield last year. Those five tries alone could form a career-defining highlight reel. Picking a favorite is tough—perhaps his blistering run from deep in his own half at Murrayfield, capped with a swallow-dive, or his 60-meter solo dash past five defenders at Twickenham, or maybe the clutch, match-winning score under pressure in the same game.
England’s head coach, Steve Borthwick, knows the challenge Van der Merwe poses. “He’s got pace and power on that wing, and if you give him space, he’ll exploit it,” Borthwick said. “He’s also got that big left-foot step to find another way through. Denying him room will be critical. Our defense has to be spot-on across the pitch.” That’s no small task when Scotland’s 29-year-old powerhouse is charging forward. Ollie Lawrence, who played alongside Van der Merwe at Worcester, recalls how simple it was to unleash him: “We just gave him the ball and said, ‘Go for it.’ Duhey’s a great guy, a close friend, and an incredible talent. He loves shrugging off tacklers.”
Lawrence, now with Bath, also knows Russell’s magic firsthand. The fly-half has elevated Bath’s attack, often leaving Lawrence in awe. “Finn can be in his own world, making things happen that others don’t see,” he said. “He can create something from nothing with his skills—great passing, great kicking.” But Russell’s brilliance isn’t all instinct. “Before I knew him, I thought he played purely on feel, but he studies the game, sees patterns, and executes what he’s analyzed. Those sneaky offloads in contact are lethal—I’ve benefited from them at Bath, but I hope they don’t come our way this weekend.”
England have tapped Lawrence for insights on neutralizing Russell, and their strategy is clear: disrupt Scotland at the breakdown and set piece, slow their rhythm, and pressure their playmaker. “It’s a challenge, like facing Antoine Dupont,” Lawrence said. “Put them under pressure, and you can force mistakes—that’s our plan.” Yet England’s tackling must improve significantly from recent outings against Scotland—and their shaky performance against Ireland in Dublin earlier this year—especially with threats like Huw Jones, Blair Kinghorn, and the ever-dangerous Ben White lurking.
Still, Lawrence believes England have grown wiser since last year’s loss. “That game was a wake-up call. We’ve looked back at it this week as an example of what we don’t want to repeat,” he said. “We’ve built on our games against Ireland and France, and now we want to impose our style at home, not let Scotland dictate terms on our turf.”
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