Relive one of the best solo tries in Six Nations history
The latest edition of the Calcutta Cup between Scotland and England takes place this weekend at Murrayfield, so what better excuse to look back on an iconic moment in the history of this fierce rivalry that was created by Duhan van der Merwe last year.
With Scotland leading 7-5 in the 29th minute on the opening weekend of the 2023 Six Nations at Twickenham, Kyle Steyn passed to the South African-born winger, who set off on an incredible run from inside his own half.
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Using his devastating combination of power and speed, Van der Merwe scythed through the England defence in scarcely believable fashion before touching down to score one of the best tries in Six Nations history and silence the Twickenham crowd.
It took the Scots 12-5 clear at the time and Gregor Townsend’s side eventually claimed a thrilling 29-23 victory after Van der Merwe bagged his second try late in the game to ensure Steve Borthwick’s reign began with defeat.
But all the talk after the encounter was about Van der Merwe’s stunning solo effort, which was understandably voted as the try of the tournament.
😲 STUNNER!
🏉 Incredible from @duhanvdmerwe!#GuinnessSixNations | #ITVRugby pic.twitter.com/6z0hPRPwz8
— ITV Rugby (@ITVRugby) February 4, 2023
Even the man himself was in disbelief that he’d managed to score from so far out. Reflecting on his moment of magic, he said: “That’s probably the best try of my life. I was quite surprised when I got up and thought, ‘What have I just done?’
“I got the ball and saw there was some space in front of me. Once I got through the first line of defence, I saw there was heaps of space and somehow I managed to use footwork, which I never normally do. So I’ll take that one, I used some footwork and got over for the try.”
Van der Merwe’s brace also saw him close on Stuart Hogg as Scotland’s most prolific try scorer, a distinction that could be his by the end of the 2024 Six Nations if Scotland can find their scoring boots ahead of the next installment of the Calcutta Cup.
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