Gregor Townsend responds to criticism before England clash

Scotland head coach Gregor Townsend says external criticism will not distract his players as they prepare for the Calcutta Cup clash against England following a disappointing Six Nations start.

Gregor Townsend Reaction To Criticism

Townsend acknowledged scrutiny has increased after Scotland’s defeat to Italy, which followed earlier losses in the autumn internationals. He said criticism is normal in international rugby and part of the sport’s environment, but insisted it should not influence preparation.

The coach explained the focus inside the squad has remained on analysing performance and correcting mistakes rather than reacting to outside opinion. He added that players understand expectations at Test level and must respond through improved execution on the field.

“That's an existential question,” said Townsend.

“It's part of the game. We're all sports fans. We understand what happens when you lose, when people open up to criticise you or the team.

“When we're sitting in the changing room after a game, after the defeat, it's not something that you would ever think that's going to be in the front of your mind. It's the, ‘how could we have performed better?’ That feeling of disappointment at the end. That's overall".

Scotland Preparation For England Match

Scotland have enjoyed recent success in this fixture, winning several recent Calcutta Cup meetings at Murrayfield. Townsend said the team’s priority is performance standards and collective effort in training ahead of facing England.

“I would hope they don't fade into irrelevance, because our players have evidence that they've won in this fixture.

"If it's the extra bit of belief, motivation, evidence, that we've been in this position before and we've won, then that can only help.

“We didn't win last year, so that was a tough one, because we felt we played one of our best ever games against England last year.

"So it doesn't always work that that evidence leads to a victory. But we're going to lean into anything that can help us get a win this weekend.”