England and Scotland draw in Six Nations closer

What a heart-stopper.

The game may not have counted for much, with Wales claiming the Six Nations title earlier in the day, but no one told England and Scotland men who put on a try-fest as they drew the Calcutta Cup 38-38, ending this season’s tournament in style.

Related: Wales win the Grand Slam

Scotland were 31-0 down in the first half, but came roaring back to lead 38-31 with just a few minutes left on the clock after a well-taken Sam Johnson try. They thought they were in for their first win at Twickenham in 36 years, but with England hammering the line, sub George Ford finally went under the posts and converted his own try to spare English blushes and salvage a draw.

Scotland retain the Calcutta Cup after this 11-try thriller. It was the highest-scoring draw in Test history.

England scored their first try in only a minute. With  Johnson shooting out of the Scottish line, England’s backs ruthlessly exploited the gap. With Elliot Daly ghosting into the line, Henry Slade took the ball off him and fed it to Jack Nowell, who stepped off his wing and cantered in to score.

Their second came after a quick lineout drive – thrown straight to Billy Vunipola – caught the Scots unaware, and they trudged over the try line for a Tom Curry score.

The pack were to the fore again for the third England score, with Ellis Genge (on for Ben Moon very early) taking the ball in traffic, eyeing half a gap and then offloading to tighthead Kyle Sinckler on the charge. One pass from Ben Youngs to Joe Launchbury sent the lock over for another score.

Youngs thought he might have got the bonus-point score just before the 20 minute-mark,  after chasing the ball into the Scots’ in-goal, but he knocked on. But ten minutes later Jonny May was streaking in for score number four. Farrell converted all four tries.

First of two: Darcy Graham gets his first score (Getty Images)

At this point the bookies shifted the odds for an England win to 500-1.

But Scotland started their comeback from a blocked Owen Farrell kick. Captain Stuart McInally charged down and then ran all the way in from just inside England’s half.

England were kept on the pitch at half-time and it all felt so predictable.

It was anything but.

The second half started with another Scots try, with Darcy Graham going over. Then everything kicked into gear. Ali Price collected his own kick and fed an on-rushing Magnus Bradbury who scored Scotland’s third. Graham got the bonus-point score, his second, from a set play and then man of the match Finn Russell reeled in an intercept off of Farrell and galloped in for a converted score to make it 31-all.

They think it’s all over: Scotland celebrate the score to make it 38-31 (Getty Images)

Then the Scots pulled in front Russell drew the defence and with the English expecting the drift, the fly-half gave a short pass to Johnson on the in-line and the centre hammered home for Scotland’s sixth try, with just a few minutes to go. It was Scotland’s fifth try in the second half.

If they had held on it would have been a first Scotland win in London since 1984, but with Ford’s late score under the posts it ended all square. It was the first draw between he rivals since 2010.

What a finish to the Six Nations.