Gregor Townsend hails 'great period' for Scottish rugby after fourth consecutive defeat of England

Gregor Townsend has hailed a “great period” for Scottish rugby after a fourth consecutive Calcutta Cup win over England.

The national team ran out 30-21 winners at Murrayfield on Saturday to keep their hopes of winning the Six Nations alive.

It is the first time they have defeated England four times in a row since the 1970s and their first time winning four consecutive Calcutta Cups in 128 years.

Duhan van der Merwe also made history as he became the first Scotland player to score a hat-trick in the history of the famous fixture.

After only winning three Calcutta Cups in the 27 years between 1991 and 2017, the trophy has now been in Edinburgh for six out of the last seven years.

And while Townsend admits it feels like a “golden age” for supporters of a certain generation, he insists that victory in the fixture is becoming the norm for younger fans and some of his players.

Speaking after the win the Scotland boss said: “I think it probably feels like (a golden age) for us older people and people who have supported the team for a while, but It’s Rory’s first Calcutta Cup and he comes away with a win and there’s other guys that have just been involved in wins the last three years.

“So yeah, it is a great period because this game means so much more than just a one off fixture. So yeah, I’m just so glad we managed to get the win again today.”

It was Van Der Merwe who stole the show with three breath-taking tries which move him just one score away from equalling Scotland’s all-time record.

And Townsend was full of praise for his performance and that of the rest of his team.

He said: “What was it, three run ins he (Van der Merwe) had? Yeah, he was great.

“I think the try, the breakthrough try, we went down the wing and made a big difference.

“The first try was exceptional play by Sione Tuipulotu and Huw Jones kept the ball alive and I think that was probably the first time we’d really had an attacking platform in England’s half so that was needed.

“The second one was a big momentum swinger and the crowd realised that too.

“And obviously the third one, Finn’s kick, a good bounce for us, and Duhan’s finish. It was great to see.”