Scotland vs England, Six Nations 2016: Vern Cotter warns Eddie Jones of Murrayfield culture shock

Scotland coach says he was taken aback by the mental and physical demands the tournament places on staff and players during his first experience of it last season

Vern Cotter says last year’s Six Nations proved an eye-opener (PA)

Eddie Jones may be the master of the unexpected but according to the Scotland coach, Vern Cotter, he will find himself on the receiving end of an eye-opening surprise of his own when the Australian is plunged into the Six Nations, beginning with Saturday’s visit to Murrayfield.

Cotter believes the intensity and relentless demands of the six-week, five-match tournament make it a tougher task to negotiate than a World Cup and it will come as a culture shock to the Australian as he begins his task to revitalise England.

Cotter first experienced the Six Nations last season and was taken aback by the mental and physical demands it placed on coaches and players. Jones has England’s greater resources and playing strength at his disposal, but Cotter suggested that for all his long and varied rugby experiences this will be very different.

“It will surprise him,” said the New Zealander. “Definitely from my perspective, it was an eye-opener. It’s a very tough, passionate competition – and experience does help. It does.

“We won’t know until Saturday after the game, but it won’t be something he’s experienced before – and we certainly want to make Murrayfield something he hasn’t experienced. The intensity of it was above anything I had experienced.

“The Six Nations, if I’m comparing the two, is even harder than the World Cup because you get such limited time in preparing the team. Certainly when you are involved it’s a powerful event.”

The minimal preparation time – especially compared with the weeks Jones had with Japan before the World Cup – the number of games in such a short time and the intensity – especially for England, the scalp that all others most savour – make it a demanding coaching assignment for Cotter. Scotland were whitewashed last year but improved in the World Cup.

Cotter respects Jones as a coach and is wary of what his team might have up their sleeves. He regards Jones’ selection as a “very similar English team [to] the World Cup” and while he believes the scant preparation time will minimise his immediate impact, Cotter is still expecting a couple of trademark surprises. He outwitted Jones in the World Cup but that was with the benefit of having seen Japan shock South Africa.

“We know he’ll want to have a couple of personal touches and some beliefs,” said Cotter. “Whether there is time to anchor those in, we’ll find out on Saturday. There are a couple of things we’ll need to be ready for. I think he’ll try to surprise us with something we haven’t seen somewhere along the line. That’s part of the challenge. There will be something there.”

Given the involvement of former Saracens defence coach Paul Gustard and Owen Farrell, the Scottish coaching staff have been studying the Premiership side’s game plans. “Will he be bringing in some Saracens characteristics and traits? I think so. Eddie was involved there, and their defence coaches.”

Mark Bennett, a key figure in Scotland’s improvement, is fit to wear 13, while Cotter makes two changes to the XV that lost so painfully to Australia in the World Cup quarter-finals. Matt Scott is fit again to partner Bennett in midfield, while in the most eye-catching selection John Barclay, the Scarlets captain, is recalled having been left out of the last three Six Nations.

Barclay will play at blindside, effectively giving Scotland two No 7s, with John Hardie wearing the jersey itself.

It is an indication of how Scotland will seek to deploy against a bigger opponent, a game plan not dissimilar to the one Australia executed so successfully at Twickenham during the World Cup.