Are England on the cusp of another losing streak or do they have a Plan B?

Jack de Menezes was in Paris as Eddie Jones’s side started the Six Nations in the worst possible way. So will the Calcutta Cup offer respite or more of the same?

England have lost back-to-back Tests against South Africa and France (PA)

A disappointing defeat at the Stade de France when so much more was expected felt oddly familiar for England as the Six Nations got underway at the weekend, and off the back of the Rugby World Cup final heartbreak, Eddie Jones’s side risk the prospect of staring straight down the barrel if this Saturday’s Calcutta Cup clash goes awry.

Two years ago England departed BT Murrayfield bullied and broken by Scotland, with the fiery 25-13 defeat starting with a pre-match skirmish in the tunnel and ending with a Finn Russell-inspired victory for the hosts that triggered England’s five-Test losing streak. Jones himself was verbally abused on his return journey home by a group of Scotland fans, and though it is a trip England would much rather forget, they remember it all too well.

This time around the journey is Paris to Edinburgh via Pennyhill Park, but the dangers are remarkably similar. Just like they are now, England were without Billy Vunipola two years ago and lacking any real ball-carrying ability, which left them brutally exposed last weekend when Manu Tuilagi was forced off so early.

With similar weaknesses on show from the World Cup defeat by South Africa, it’s not hard to envisage a difficult run ahead for England. Two away matches to open the Six Nations is the last thing anyone wants following defeat in the sport’s showcase match, and even though Jones stressed there is no hangover from that disappointment in Yokohama three months ago, the evidence suggests otherwise.

Does that trigger a horrible sense of déjà vu for the players? Jonny May, England’s best performer in Paris by a country mile, believes they can ill-afford to allow the mind to wonder back to the dark days of 2018.

“That’s not the right way to think at all,” said May. “It’s the same as any game when you win, lose or draw. You evaluate it, try and get better and go again. Week by week, moment by moment in a game as well.

“If you look at any team away from home, it’s tough in this competition.”

May’s approach will be one shared by the squad this week that will come in handy in focusing on the challenge that Scotland pose, even if Finn Russell’s exile continues following his recent indiscretions within the camp. Gregor Townsend’s side should have beaten Ireland last Saturday and were clearly the better side in Dublin, only to prove the creators of their own downfall. History shows that Scotland tend to have one big performance in them when the penny drops and those half-chances are converted, and if that comes this Saturday afternoon, England will find themselves in trouble.

With Tuilagi ruled out of the trip north of the border, England will have to find a Plan B that enables them to take the game away from the “brutal physicality” that they failed to deliver in France and hurt Scotland in other areas of strength. England believe they have the most powerful scrum in the Six Nations but the Scots impressed at the set-piece against Ireland, and if the forwards fail to get any change out of that specific area, their strengths quickly dwindle to the point of ‘what next?’

Any solace that England take in returning to Twickenham for their next two matches will be diminished by that fact those games come against Ireland and Wales, two sides who got off to winning starts. Ireland were able to keep Scotland from breaching their try line – largely thanks to Scot skipper Stuart Hogg – while Wales didn’t concede a single point against Italy, which is why it is so imperative that Jones uses whatever little time he has in this week’s six-day turnaround to drill in a gameplan that is allowed to flourish regardless of how many Vunipolas or Tuilagis there are on the field.