The Scots took the lead through a Chris Paterson penalty but England hit back with Ugo Monye and Riki Flutey tries.

Toby Flood kicked the hosts into an 18-3 lead early in the second half but Scotland fought back through the boots of Paterson and Phil Godman.

At one point they trailed by just six points but a Danny Care drop-goal and late Mathew Tait try saw England home.

The victory, allied to Ireland’s defeat of Wales, meant much-criticised England finished the championship as runners-up for the second year in a row.

They were poor for the first half of the tournament but put France to the sword in their previous outing and went into the game full of confidence.

With Scotland having not won at Twickenham since 1983 and having suffered 40-point defeats in their previous four visits England fancied their chances of another big win.

But after some powerful, pacy and direct rugby in the first 40 minutes they lost their way after the break and conceded far too many penalties – not for the first time this championship – to let Scotland back into the game.

The visitors took the lead when the metronomic Paterson bisected the posts with an early penalty, and they came desperately close to scoring the first try of the game.

England turned over possession at a ruck and speedy Scotland wing Thom Evans set sail along the left touchline.

He looked odds-on to score but the lightning Monye was covering across and just brought him down a couple of yards short of the line, with Flood finishing the job to stop the Scots bagging the opening try.

England were then hit by two serious injuries with a dazed Phil Vickery led off to be replaced at tight-head prop by Julian White and Harry Ellis stretchered off after attempting to tackle Simon Danielli.

The Leicester scrum-half hit his head on the powerful Scotland winger’s hip and was knocked unconscious but was fit enough to come out and sit on the bench before the final whistle.
England boss Martin Johnson was pleased with the win despite the second half showing
After a long delay while Ellis was tended to England seized control and they took the lead just after the midway point of the half with a superb try.

After setting up a ruck on the right the ball was fired down the line and the suggestion of a Flood dummy helped create the space for Monye to thunder over in the corner.

England spent the rest of the half crashing in waves against the resolute Scottish defence and finally enjoyed their reward just after the 30-minute mark.

Scotland managed to halt one attack when they bundled Joe Worsley into touch but when they failed to control the resulting line-out the Wasps flanker had his revenge.

The rejuvenated back-rower pounced on a loose ball and showed uncharacteristically good hands to throw a cute little overhead pass and although the rest of the forwards failed to burrow over from a yard, when the ball went left Flutey took responsibility.

The Wasps centre side-stepped to the line and the television match official ruled he had just managed to dot the ball down despite desperate Scottish defence.

In the process he went to the top of the 2009 Six Nations scoring charts with four. 

Flood converted and although England could not add a third try despite setting up camp in the Scottish half, Flood chipped over a penalty just before the interval to give England a 15-3 lead.

It looked as though the hosts were set for a comprehensive victory but they fell off their game and Scotland began to edge back into the contest.

A penalty apiece from Flood and Paterson maintained the advantage entering the final half hour before Scotland cut the gap to nine points as Phil Godman banged over a long-range effort for the visitors.

After such an impressive opening half England had reverted to the stuttering form that has characterised so much of their play over the past few years and their nerves were ratcheted up another notch when Flood missed a simple penalty.

Godman fell just short with a long-range penalty but when Nick Easter was penalised for holding on at a ruck Paterson made no mistake to reduce the margin to less than a converted try.

With the home crowd growing restless England managed to steady their nerves and regain the upper hand, with Care popping over a drop-goal as the referee played an advantage to England.

The hosts had brought on a raft of replacements in the second half and it was one of the new boys, Tait, who had the final word as he went over untouched on the left after good passing down the line from England.

Scotland’s Hugo Southwell was stretchered off after taking a blow to the head trying to tackle Delon Armitage in the build-up to the try, but was later given the all-clear.

——————————————————————————–

England: Armitage; Cueto, Tindall, Flutey, Monye; Flood, Ellis; Sheridan, Mears, Vickery, Borthwick, Shaw, Croft, Worsley, Easter.

Replacements: Tait for Monye (48), Goode for Flood (73), Care for Ellis (16), Hartley for Mears (73), White for Vickery (14), Kennedy for Shaw (57), Haskell for Croft (73).

Scotland: Paterson; Danielli, M Evans, Morrison, T Evans; Godman, Blair; Dickinson, Ford, Murray, White, Hamilton, Strokosch, Gray, Taylor, Taylor.

Replacements: Low for Danielli (75), De Luca for T Evans (44), Cusiter for Blair (68), Southwell for Dickinson (75), Hall for Ford (67), Hines for White (57), Brown for Taylor (41), Brown for Taylor (41).

Att: 80,688

Three Italy errors saw England take a commanding lead as Andy Goode, Harry Ellis and Riki Flutey went over.

Goode added two conversions and a penalty but two Luke McLean penalties meant England led 22-6 at half-time.

Ellis scored England’s fourth try after the break and although Italy cut the gap through Mirco Bergamasco, Mark Cueto had the final word for the hosts.

England somehow ran in five tries but they created little of note in attack and although Johnson will be happy to have banked two points, the laboured display will have done nothing to soothe his furrowed brow.

His side went into the game on the back of five defeats in six matches and Johnson decided experience and a more conservative approach was the order of the day, with the solid Goode and Cueto recalled after long absences.

In contrast Italy boss Nick Mallett decided to gamble by picking the older of the Bergamasco brothers, Mauro, normally a flanker, at scrum-half because they had lost their three leading number nines to injury.

The move was to backfire in spectacular fashion.

Bergamasco is a fine open-side with 69 caps to his name but his inexperience at number nine cost his side a try within two minutes of the kick-off.

The Stade Francais player was – like a good number seven – unable to resist the temptation to clear out English players at a ruck and when the ball fell loose he was not there to control it.

England kicked through to within 10m of the Italian line and when Saracens hooker Fabio Ongaro overthrew at the resulting line-out for the visitors, Goode collected and set up great field position.

Nick Easter and James Haskell both had a crack and when England recycled for a third time Goode chipped through and won the race to touch down.

Goode converted but spurned the chance to extend the lead when he missed two kickable penalties.

Italy also failed to take their first chance, Andrea Marcato missing a penalty for the visitors, and they shipped a second try after 18 minutes following a second Mauro Bergamasco error.

Italy once again lost control of the ball at the base after Bergamasco had been sucked into a ruck and Haskell’s flick saw Ellis scamper 20m to the line and dive over for an unconverted try.

It then went from bad to worse for Bergamasco as his horrendous pass eluded Gonzalo Garcia and Goode kicked ahead before Flutey gathered the ball and went over.

The visitors finally managed to get on the board late in the first half with two penalties from McLean, on for battered fly-half Marcato, either side of a Goode penalty for the hosts.

That meant England led 22-6 at half-time and Italy finally accepted the inevitable, removing Mauro Bergamasco and bringing on Giulio Toniolatti for just his second cap.

With a healthy lead and Italy in disarray it was all set up for England to open up in the second half, but they never really got going.

Ellis marked an effective display by having the pace to go over from halfway after England had turned over Italian possession, with Goode’s conversion making it 29-6.

Italy claimed their solitary try as Mirco Bergmasco finished off a sweeping move after 72 minutes to cap a mixed day for the Bergamasco brothers.

Cueto, playing for England for the first time since the 2007 World Cup final, then rounded off the scoring with a 78th-minute try.

But the fact the hosts scored five tries in the Six Nations for the first time in three years said much more about Italy’s flaky display than it did about England’s attacking prowess.

England: D Armitage; Sackey, Noon, Flutey, Cueto; Goode, Ellis; Sheridan, Mears, Vickery, Borthwick, Kennedy, Haskell, S Armitage, Easter.

Replacements: Hartley for Mears (55), Foden for Ellis (60), White for Sheridan (60), Geraghty for Flutey (60), Worsley for Armitage (62), Croft for Kennedy (73), Tait for Noon (73).

Sin-Bin: Haskell (34), Geraghty (63).

Italy: Masi; Robertson, Canale, Garcia, Mi Bergamasco; Marcato, Ma Bergamasco; Perugini, Ongaro, Castrogiovanni, Dellape, Bortolami, Sole, Zanni, Parisse.

Replacements: McLean for Marcato (29), Toniolatti for Ma Bergamasco (41), Pratichetti for Garcia (55), Reato for Bortolami (55), Festuccia for Ongaro (55), Nieto for Perugini (60), Montauriol for Dellape (76).

Att: 82,000.

Ref: M Lawrence (South Africa).

The home side took nearly 20 minutes to open the scoring with a pushover try finished off by scrum-half Harry Ellis.

Further scores from Adam Powell, Tom Varndell, Ellis and Noah Cato gave the Saxons a 33-0 half-time lead.

And the tries came thick and fast after the break as England’s superior fitness told against Portugal’s brave amateurs.

Varndell looked to have set the tone for the Saxons with a strong run inside the opening minute which saw him beat three defenders.

But sloppy errors undermined England’s efforts, with Ellis – returning to action after a six-week suspension – throwing an interception pass when deep in Portugal territory.

The dam finally burst when England’s bigger, heavier and more powerful pack trundled towards the line at the scrum to allow Ellis an easy score.

It was more or less one-way traffic from then on, as Portugal’s players struggled to cope with the intensity of their full-time professional opponents.

A period of sustained Portugal pressure at the start of the second half failed to yield a try, and England took advantage with scores from Dominic Waldouck, Matt Smith, Varndell, Jordan Crane and Powell.

The Saxons are likely to face a more difficult test against Ireland A in Dublin on 6 February.

Portugal: Cabral, Esteves, D. Mateus, Mira, Foro, D. Pinto, J. Pinto, Segurado, Correia, Mure, Severino, G. Uva, Acosta, Palha, J. Uva.

The 31-year-old got the nod ahead of Michael Lipman after the Bath flanker was ruled out with concussion.

Worsley, who has 67 caps, has not played for England since the summer tour to New Zealand last year.

Rees was ruled out of at least the first three games of the Six Nations after picking up a knee injury.

England have also lost flanker Lewis Moody to a broken ankle, with the uncapped Steffon Armitage moving up into the senior squad.

Worsley had already been training with the squad in Portugal, and will now have to hold off competition from the likes of Nick Easter and James Haskell if he is to make the line-up for England’s opener against Italy on 7 February.
 
Lipman and Wasps prop Tim Payne – who was suffering with sore abdominal muscles – were the only two players to sit out training in Portugal.

“The five days have been very productive,” said England boss Martin Johnson.

“The conditions were good and the players and coaches have enjoyed some quality training, preparation and analysis time together.”

——————————————————————————–

Revised England elite player squad (29):
Forwards: Tim Payne (Wasps), Andrew Sheridan (Sale), Phil Vickery (Wasps), Julian White (Leicester), George Chuter (Leicester), Dylan Hartley (Northampton), Lee Mears (Bath), Steve Borthwick (Saracens), Tom Palmer (Wasps), Simon Shaw (Wasps), Steffon Armitage (London Irish), Tom Croft (Leicester), James Haskell (Wasps), Joe Worsley (Wasps), Nick Easter (Harlequins), Luke Narraway (Gloucester).

* Also training with the senior squad: Ben Kay (Leicester), Michael Lipman (Bath).

Backs: Olly Morgan (Gloucester), Mark Cueto (Sale), Paul Sackey (Wasps), Ugo Monye (Harlequins), Jamie Noon (Newcastle), Mike Tindall (Gloucester), Riki Flutey (Wasps), Shane Geraghty (London Irish), Danny Cipriani (Wasps), Toby Flood (Leicester), Danny Care (Harlequins), Harry Ellis (Leicester), Ben Foden (Northampton).

* Also training with senior squad: Matt Banahan (Bath).

Leonard, who won 114 England caps, has been appointed to the Professional Game Board (PGB) which will oversee elite rugby in England from July 2008.

   The PGB was formed earlier this year as part of a deal between the Rugby Football Union and the top clubs.

“I hope to bring my experience to the meetings which aim to make the elite game as good as it can be,” he said.

The World Cup-winning prop joins RFU boss Francis Baron, director of elite rugby Rob Andrew and John Spencer, chairman of Club England, on a panel chaired by RFU Management Board chairman Martyn Thomas.

It also includes representatives from Premier Rugby (PRL) – Gloucester chairman Tom Walkinshaw, Leicester chief executive Peter wheeler and PRL chief executive Mark McCafferty – with a fourth to be appointed.

The deal, which runs from July 2008 until 2016, will see the RFU give £110m to the Premiership clubs in exchange for more time with elite players.

Leonard, who retired after the 2004 Six Nations, won 114 England caps and five British and Irish Lions caps in a 14-year international career.

His world record for international appearances was overtaken by Australia’s George Gregan in June 2006.

Dallaglio, 35, accused Ashton of a lack of leadership and said England were like a pub team in the early matches.

“I’ve never been a vindictive man,” Ashton said. “If a player is the best in that position, then he will get selected. It’s that simple.

“I didn’t like the criticism but, to be honest, it just washed over me.”

England’s World Cup campaign was rocked by a 36-0 loss to South Africa in the pool stages but after a series of frank meetings, they rediscovered their winning ways and reached the final, losing 15-6 in a rematch with the Springboks.

Former England captain Dallaglio and veteran centre Mike Catt both publicly criticised Ashton in their autobiographies which were published after the World Cup.

The 36-year-old Catt has since retired from international rugby, but Dallaglio, joint-second on England’s all-time list with 85 caps, said he would not retire for a second time, having originally quit international rugby in 2004 before returning two years later.

Ashton, reappointed head coach this week on an “indefinite” contract, will name a 32-man squad for the Six Nations on 9 January.

Despite the likely introduction of youngsters such as Wasps duo Danny Cipriani and James Haskell, Ashton indicated he will retain a spine of experienced players.
“You have always got to have the balance in a side between the exuberance of youth and some experience,” he said.

“The ideal balance would be to have the best 15 players in the team, with some of those players being really experienced and some coming in for their first or second cap.

“At this stage I have a pretty good idea of the World Cup players we are looking at to perform again in the Six Nations.

“Although current form will be extremely important, there’s little doubt that there are a number of 31 and 32-year-olds who are still the best in their positions in the country.

“The younger guys are an unknown quantity in many respects because if they put their hands up high enough then they might sneak in.

“But as was shown in the World Cup, experience counts for a hell of a lot.

“I would like to think that English rugby is in pretty rude health at the moment.”

“It is very much a long-term project,” said Andrew.

“The contract is indefinite, with no time limit. Brian might be here in 2015. It has a notice period, like all contracts have.”

The RFU announced on Wednesday that Ashton, as well as assistant coaches Mike Ford and John Wells, would remain in their jobs after Andrew’s post-World Cup review.

Andrew stated that Ashton, whose original 12-month rolling contract was due to expire at the end of this month, has the option to add to his coaching team and that a team manager is likely to be appointed.

“One of the appointments Brian wants to make is a team manager,” Andrew told BBC Radio 5 Live. “We have said he can appoint a team manager of his choosing.

“What Brian and I have to do is define the job description that he wants for an England team manager.”

Ashton’s relationship with his coaches, particularly the more conservative, forwards-orientated view of Wells, came in for criticism during the World Cup.

But Ashton, known for his more free-flowing vision of the game, says there is no clash of cultures and insists he is happy that the coaching team will stay together.

“It’s not a clash, but there’s a difference in philosophy there and both of us will acknowledge that. But that’s not a problem,” he said. “I think that’s a good thing. What you don’t want is a backroom staff full of yes-men.

“You need people around you who are going to question what you are doing. That’s how you get the best out of not only them, but yourself as well.”

One addition to the senior England coaching staff, possibly as coach of the second-string Saxons, could be highly regarded Wasps head coach Shaun Edwards.

The rugby league legend has helped Wasps to three Premiership titles and two Heineken Cups and has also been offered a role by new Wales coach Warren Gatland.

“Shaun Edwards is an outstanding coach, not just a defence coach,” said Ashton.

“To whichever team he was making a contribution, it would be a very, very good one.”

Andrew, who confirmed the RFU has spoken to Edwards about various roles, said Edwards “wants to stay at Wasps full-time and work part-time on the international stage”.

Under Premier Rugby regulations club coaches are not allowed to work with the full England squad, although on Monday they amended the rule to allow the RFU to get Edwards involved, but only with regard to the Saxons. He is not expected to make a decision on whether to accept the role until at least the weekend.

Ashton took over as head coach exactly 12 months ago after being promoted in the wake of Andy Robinson’s dismissal.

 He took over a side at rock bottom following a run of eight defeats in nine Tests but turned around England’s fortunes by taking them to the World Cup final against South Africa.

But Ashton’s coaching style divided opinion in France with senior players Lawrence Dallaglio and Mike Catt criticising the head coach when the squad returned home.

Andrew consulted England players and management and coaches from around the Premiership as he formulated his review which was discussed by the RFU on Wednesday.

And Ashton, who will name a 32-man squad for the Six Nations on 9 January, said he was “very proud” to have had his contract extended.

“I am looking forward to getting on with it,” said the 61-year-old former Bath coach. “I look at the way forward in three stages.

“In 2008 there is the Six Nations and the New Zealand tour, the next period is to the end of the 2009 Argentina tour and then we ought to be in a good position to move forward to the 2011 World Cup.

“There are short, medium and long-term objectives over the next four years.

 ”We know we need to move our game forward. We need to be able to play in different ways and we need a management team and squad of players prepared to work to that end.

“We need the players and coaching team in place who have the ambition, vision and desire to drive the English game forward.”

Two of the management team at the World Cup have left their posts, with video analyst Tony Biscombe retiring this week and team administrator Viv Brown “leaving the employ of the RFU” according to Andrew.

Wells and Ford have both welcomed the chance to continue their roles alongside Ashton.

Wells said: “We have an exciting group of young forwards coming through such as (Wasps’) James Haskell, Luke Narraway at Gloucester and Jordan Crane at Leicester, while (Wasps’) Tom Rees is looking like he is back to his best.

“These guys will be looking to challenge the group of players who did so well during the World Cup and we are excited about what’s ahead of us.”

Ford added: “I am pleased that we can build on what was achieved in France and I am looking forward to getting back together for the Six Nations.

“We have come a long way since the start of the year and now we have a chance to move England on to another level.”

The number eight was forced off in their Heineken Cup win over Harlequins and could be out for two months.

“If it is a clean break, he is likely to be out for six weeks but if it’s splintered, it could be eight weeks,” said Bristol coach Richard Hill.

England open up their Six Nations campaign against Wales on 2 February.

In a further setback for Bristol, England World Cup hooker Mark Regan picked up a shoulder injury in the same game.

Regan was substituted just after half time and was replaced by try-scorer David Blaney, who was himself stretchered off in injury time with a suspected broken ankle.

It is the second season running that Ward-Smith has suffered an injury setback in the build-up to the Six Nations.

Earlier this year, the 29-year-old suffered a dislocated kneecap and a ruptured patella playing for his club against Northampton when an England call-up beckoned.

He had recovered enough to work with England’s World Cup training squad in the summer but failed to prove he had reached the required fitness level to be included in the final party that travelled to France.

Ward-Smith missed Bristol’s opening game of the season against Leicester but returned to the team for the clash with Sale on 23 September.

“It’s very unlucky for him,” added Hill. “Last year, before he was badly injured, he was out for six weeks with a thumb problem.”

After impressing in the Six Nations, the Harlequins back looked set for the World Cup until injury intervened.

“If I can go from Division One to Six Nations in a year, then trying to regain my shirt will be an honour not a chore,” the winger told BBC Sport.

“Even being in contention for an England shirt is a privilege.”

Strettle has enjoyed a remarkable rise through the ranks since joining Harlequins from relegated Rotherham in August 2006.

Just six months after moving to Quins, he made his England debut, scoring their only try in the 43-13 Six Nations loss to Ireland.

His performances in the tournament earned him a place on the summer tour of South Africa, where he was laid low by illness, and he looked sure to be in the World Cup squad until he broke his foot in training.

The 24-year-old, who has been signed up as one of the RBS’s ‘Young Guns’ working to promote next year’s Sport Relief campaign, admitted that even he was taken aback by the way his career had developed so fast.

“One of my mates told me to go and look at myself on Wikipedia, and when I read it, it made me realise what a rollercoaster it’s been,” he said.

“If someone had offered me this 18 months ago, doing everything I have and even missing out on what I missed, I’d still have taken it.

“I’ve been so lucky. Even if breaking my foot made me miss out on things, it made me sit back and realise just what I’d achieved.”

Strettle admitted that watching the World Cup from his armchair had been a bittersweet experience.

“The only time I ever felt a bit narked off was when England got to the final. I felt brilliant as soon as they got there and then I started thinking ‘you really have missed out’.

“Like most Englishmen I didn’t think they’d get to the final so when they did, there was a tiny bit of me that felt I was missing out, but because I’d got used to the idea it just took me a day or two (to get over it).

 606: DEBATE
Where does Dave Strettle’s England future lie?

“If I didn’t know anyone in the team, I’d probably be bitter, but because they’re your best mates and people you work with, you think ‘they’ve got to win because soon I’ll be in a room and training with them and I hope to God they’ll have a winner’s medal with them’.”

With the retirement of Jason Robinson and Mike Catt from the England scene, places are up for grabs in the back division, and Strettle said he was hopeful his achievements last year would help his cause.

“It’s nice to know I’m not trying to prove to people what I can do, as they’ve seen it before,” he said.

“If I can keep up the form I had going into the Six Nations next year and carry on, things take care of themselves.”

Despite having made his name as a winger, recently he has been turning out for Harlequins at outside centre – but Strettle is not complaining.

“When you play for a Premiership club they pay your wages so if they tell you to play hooker, you do,” he said.

“If I am a winger and I’m meant to be an England winger, playing at centre or full-back can only make me a better all-round player.

“I can learn what a centre needs from a winger and vice-versa – you get a better viewpoint of the game.

“If people say I can play for England at number 13 after playing just three or four games there, it’s amazing that people can think that of me.

“But I’m not going to kid myself – you’ve got to put in the hours and learn a new trade.”

And having come so close to playing in the World Cup, Strettle said he felt he had set himself a standard he had to meet again.

“Having missed out through injury, you feel something has been taken away from you,” he said.

“You got there and it was taken away so you feel like you’ve already achieved something and if you don’t do it again, you’re lowering your standards.

“If I hadn’t achieved it and I’d been dropped, I’d always feel I never quite got there, but knowing I was going to be taken, it’s a case of getting back to that level.”

The 2003 World Cup-winning captain has been tipped for a role at the Rugby Football Union (RFU) since retiring from the sport in June 2005.

Calls for his experience to be utilised have heightened as the RFU look to build on the foundations laid at the 2007 World Cup.

“This is not the right time for me,” said Johnson, 39.
 
“People are assuming I could walk back in but it doesn’t work like that.

“There’s nothing to say that just because you’ve played at the top level you’ll make a good coach or manager.

“Sometimes you have the feeling that it’s not the right time to get involved.

“I think I retired at the right time and I think I’ll know when it’s the right time to come back.”

Rob Andrew, the RFU’s director of elite rugby, is due to announce in mid-December the findings from his review of the World Cup.

England progressed to the final in France despite woeful performances in their opening two pool matches.

Andrew is keen to ensure the mistakes made following England’s 2003 triumph, when they plummeted down the world rankings, are not repeated in the build-up to the 2011 tournament in New Zealand.

“There’s a perception that I will turn up and everything will be all right,” said Johnson.

“When things are going badly for England the coaches will not tell the players anything different to what I’d tell them.

“I’ve not coached any rugby team let alone the England team.

“It’s a very interesting time because a lot of the older players who started in the World Cup final naturally will be finishing their careers in the next year to 18 months.
“It’s very important that transition gets managed and I think we need an experienced guy in there that can do that.

“I’m not an experienced manager or coach so I’m sort of ruling myself out with the word experience.

Andrew will issue recommendations on the make-up of the coaching team, with coach Brian Ashton expected to be retained.

The former England fly-half may move to a more hands-on role within the team and it has been reported that a team manager will be appointed.

Since retiring, Johnson has had no direct involvement in professional rugby, instead spending time with his family, pursuing commercial interests and fulfilling a number of ambassadorial and media commitments.

“If I ever got involved as manager of England then I’d want to do it with a bit of experience behind me,” said the former Leicester lock.

“I’d never be arrogant enough to assume that I could go in and be a national coach or manager without any experience.”

Johnson, who has also been touted for a position with the British and Irish Lions for their tour to South Africa in 2009, added: “You’ve got to want to go and do something.

“You’ve got to have a passion and enthusiasm to get back involved. When I get that feeling, I’ll look to get back involved.

“Playing the game is what I got involved in rugby for. I didn’t get involved so that one day in the long term I could go and coach.”