England’s Six Nations title hopes took a heavy blow on Saturday as Scotland ran out convincing winners at a raucous Murrayfield. But World Cup winner Matt Dawson believes the scars from this defeat will toughen Steve Borthwick’s side for the battles ahead, especially with Ireland looming this weekend.
The Defeat That Still Stings
Scotland 38 England 19. The scoreboard does not lie.
Duhan van der Merwe scored twice, Finn Russell pulled the strings, and a red card to Henry Arundell in the 52nd minute turned a competitive contest into a rout. England shipped 31 points after the sending-off and left Edinburgh battered and bruised.
Yet Dawson, who knows exactly how dark the Six Nations tunnel can feel, sees value in the pain.
“I can easily reel off the losses that stuck with me,” the former scrum-half wrote in his BBC Sport column. “Scotland 2000, Ireland 2001 and France 2002, they all still hurt. I came up one win short of a Grand Slam three years running. This is the same territory.”
Why Away Defeats Are Gold Dust
Dawson’s central point is simple but powerful: you do not learn to win World Cups in the comfort of Twickenham.
Borthwick is still waiting for his first Six Nations away victory against Scotland, Ireland or France. That stat matters. South Africa do not travel hoping to compete; they travel expecting to dominate. England are not there yet.
“It is very unlikely they will win a World Cup without a statement away victory beforehand,” Dawson wrote.
Saturday gave the squad another dose of the unique pressure that only Murrayfield, Dublin or Paris can deliver. The noise, the hostile crowd, the rest decisions that seem to go against you, those are the experiences that forge steel.
Arundell’s Red Card: A Harsh but Vital Lesson
Henry Arundell is 23. He is lightning fast and fearless. He is also human.
His challenge on Kyle Steyn was born from pure competitive instinct, a rush of blood when England were already rocking. The red card was correct and it cost his team dearly.
Dawson does not condemn the player; he empathises.
“You have to read situations. In those moments you need clarity as well as competitiveness. What if that had been a World Cup quarter-final?”
The wing berths are fiercely contested. Arundell will have to earn his place back, but lessons like this, absorbed young, are priceless.
Ireland Next: The Acid Test
England return to Allianz Stadium on Saturday to face an Ireland side hunting a championship of their own.
Two wins from the remaining three games would still take Borthwick’s team to Paris with a chance of the title. The Grand Slam dream is gone, but the trophy itself is not.
More importantly, a performance against the world’s top-ranked side would send a message: the Murrayfield nightmare has been parked, the lessons banked.
This Is How Winners Are Built
Every great England team has carried scars.
2003 had the 2002 losses to France, Ireland and Scotland that taught them how to suffer. 2016 had the pain of the 2015 World Cup exit that fuelled the Grand Slam run.
Dawson knows it better than most. He was part of those teams that fell short before finally getting it right.
The players who walked off Murrayfield hurting on Saturday night are the same ones who will be harder to beat in 2027.
As Dawson puts it: “That Murrayfield pain will make England a better team.”
History says he is right.
What did you make of the match? Is this defeat a turning point or a warning sign? Drop your thoughts below, and if you’re firing up the debate on social media, use #SixNations and tag a mate who still believes the Grand Slam was on.
