Scotland beat England 31-20 at BT Murrayfield in Edinburgh on 14 February 2026, reclaiming the Calcutta Cup in a fiery Round 2 encounter that showcased everything the oldest international rugby rivalry has to offer.

The Calcutta Cup, first contested in 1879, never fails to deliver drama, and this edition was no exception. Scotland entered the match stinging from a Round 1 defeat and needing a statement performance in front of their home supporters. Finn Russell, orchestrating from fly-half with characteristic audacity, set the tone early with a cross-field kick that found Duhan van der Merwe unmarked on the left wing. The powerful South African-born winger crashed over for the opening try after just 6 minutes, and the noise inside Murrayfield was deafening. Stuart Hogg, in what many speculated could be among his final Six Nations campaigns, was electric at full-back, fielding every English kick with composure and launching devastating counter-attacks.

England responded through Marcus Smith, whose individual brilliance produced a solo try midway through the first half, stepping inside two Scottish defenders before dotting down beneath the posts. Maro Itoje was his usual dominant self at the lineout, and Freddie Steward was dependable under the high ball. The visitors trailed only 14-10 at half-time and looked capable of turning the contest in their favour. But Scotland’s second-half performance was a different level entirely. Russell found his range with two penalties before delivering a sublime flat pass to put Darcy Graham through a gap that should not have existed. Graham’s acceleration did the rest, and at 24-10 the game was slipping away from England. Ben Earl led a spirited English fightback, scoring from the back of a driving maul, and Smith converted to bring it back to 24-20 with fifteen minutes remaining.

Scotland, though, would not be denied. Van der Merwe sealed the match with his second try, a powerful finish in the corner after a flowing team move involving Huw Jones and Jamie Ritchie. Russell’s touchline conversion was inch-perfect, stretching the lead to 31-20 and sparking celebrations that echoed around Edinburgh well into the evening. For England, it was a second consecutive defeat that raised serious questions about their championship credentials, while Scotland’s bounce-back victory kept them firmly in contention.

Kick-off at BT Murrayfield was 16:40 GMT in Edinburgh, which was 17:40 CET for European viewers, 11:40 EST on the American east coast, and 08:40 PST on the west coast. Fans in London watched from the other end of the rivalry with growing frustration as Scotland’s second-half surge proved too much for Steve Borthwick’s side to contain.