Six Nations 2018: England flanker Chris Robshaw warns Scotland against mind games before Calcutta Cup

Robshaw says England have seen it all before and won't be fazed

Chris Robshaw in training before the Calcutta Cup (Getty Images)

England’s Chris Robshaw heads to Murrayfield on Saturday warning Scotland that if they try any mind games or pre-match tricks, his side have already seen the lot.

Robshaw and Murrayfield have Six Nations history. In 2012 England’s 13-6 win was his first match as captain and in 2016 a 15-9 win, and in Eddie Jones’ first game in charge it represented his first game back in the ranks as part of the World Cup fallout. In between, in 2014, there was a 20-0 win.

Many thought Robshaw would be thrown under the bus, as player and skipper, when Jones got the head coach’s job but it was an incident with the team bus that sticks in the flanker’s mind ahead of Saturday’s game.

In 2012 the England coach from the hotel to Murrayfield got stuck behind some tartan-clad pipers and their entrance to the ground was delayed. But if anything like that happens this weekend Robshaw, who will be winning his 62nd cap, insists it is water off a duck’s back and new England can cope with it.

“We had to go at a certain time and we weren’t allowed to deviate from that time,” he recalled. “Happily enough, as soon as we pulled in 50 bagpipers came out – pretty much crawled out in front of us. Look it delayed us a bit but again we’d spoken about it. You play these mind games. It’s a bit of fun here and there but hopefully we’ve been there enough.

“We’ve all experienced things, whether it’s going to Murrayfield a couple of years ago, or Cardiff, tricks and sideshows whatever is, trying to put you off your game – turn all the lights off, whatever it’s going to be.

“When we talk about issues off the pitch we always talk about what-if scenarios. What if the bus is late, what if you’re having a kip when you get there, what if your boots break? You prepare for these things.

“You just stay there as a group. After the game you have a little smile about and enjoy it. At the time it brings you closer. You’ve prepared for these things, you’ve been through them before. It’s you against everyone there and you’re going right into the heart of the fire. It’s the 15 or 23 plus the coaches against everyone there and it really forms that camaraderie.”

Gregor Townsend, the Scotland head coach, has done his bit to stir the pot this week by claiming England’s defence is perennially offside and that the identity of their opponents has added a bit of spice to the Scots’ preparations.

Neutrals would welcome a decent game because most of the stuff served up in Calcutta Cup clashes over the past 20 years has been dross. Weather has played its part in that but some of the games have been desperate affairs that have not matched the hype.

Gregor Townsend has stirred the pot this week (Getty)

England ran in seven tries in a 61-21 win at Twickenham last year, Jonathan Joseph ran in a hat-trick, whilst Scotland managed three touch downs of their own. Ten tries is probably too much to ask for but the Scots will be keen to build on their win over France after being taken to school by Wales in the opening round.

“I’m sure they’ll lift their game and we need to lift ours,” Robshaw added. “We need to go out and do what we’ve said we’ve wanted to do for the past two weeks. Whenever you play in these games there’s five per cent more in every team. There’s always a bit of niggle here and there, there’s always rivalry between every country you play.

“There are areas of strength and areas of weakness in certain ones but they’re always pretty competitive. In every aspect of the game you can’t give up and inch. If you do you’ll expose yourself and expose your team. The reason we work and train so hard is for this.”