Ross Ford was once in the stands at Murrayfield for the Calcutta Cup and has twice been on the winning side, so he knows the thrill and excitement of taking on the Auld Enemy and what it means to the nation.
But as the most experienced member of today’s Scotland team, he’s able to take a step back from the hype and see the game for what it is just another Six Nations Test.
“I think a lot of it’s created by the public and the media, upping the ante for the Calcutta Cup games, and it’s always a great game to be involved in for those reasons, the way the public see it,” said the hooker, just five more appearances from being Scotland’s first cap centurion in the forwards.
“When you’re walking about and people are talking about the Calcutta Cup and getting stuck into the English, stuff like that, you enjoy it and know you’re lucky enough to be part of it.
“I think it’s great having that buzz with the public, but it’s different for players, it has to be.”
The Scots have talked much about not being overwound like they were in 2014, when they went out in a fervour and it dissipated all too quickly on the way to the dispiriting 20-0 defeat.
“That excitement is still there, but you have to understand that when you’re on the pitch you can’t go all fire and brimstone,” added Ford. “You’ve got to think about things and make sure that you’re judgment and skills aren’t being clouded by trying to be the hero and all that guff.”
“I’m used to pre-match stuff now it now and you get to the point where it’s just part of the day and actually a good way to start to the game.
“But you quickly switch into your different roles and what you’re supposed to be doing at certain times, focusing on the now rather than the past or what might happen. It’s vital to stay in the moment.”
With that in mind, he hardly recalls the wins in 2006 and 2008.
“It’s a time ago now, all I remember is on both occasions the weather was particularly bad,” he said. “We created a lot of chaos, defensively we were pretty good and we took our chances.
“Chaos is something we have to do again in defence and attack. We need to operate at a tempo and pace that allows us to bring chaos, it’s something we tried to do at the World Cup and worked well for us.
“Both Johns, Hardie and Barclay, are brilliant on the ground, slowing things up and getting turnovers. They are proper sevens, if they see the opportunity they will go for it, and that will be one way of creating the chaos we want because they can do that very well.”
The front row contest will be crucial given England’s new captain Dylan Hartley is part of the visiting trio, but Ford believes he and his current props are the best combination in his time with Scotland.
“It’s been good being able to work with WP and Dicko at Edinburgh, we have worked on solving problems during games and that helps us in internationals as we have now come up against most things together.
“I have come up against Hartley a few times, he’s obviously a very abrasive player, hard and very good in the set-piece. I expect him to be the same again, he has the captaincy now but I can’t see that changing given the way he plays.
“I won’t be trying to wind him up, we have just focused this week on what we can control. If we do that well then it creates pressure on the opposite players as they are having to react.
“If we are proactive and do our things right then it puts the pressure on them to react to us.”
The Scots are also determined to put the slow starts that sometimes plagued them in the World Cup behind them and strike from the kick-off.
“We didn’t lead at half-time in some games but we came back in the second half so we know if we create opportunities we can score points,” he continued.
“We were building ourselves into the game and that gives you opportunities, but there are times when giving penalties away puts you under pressure and you are defending more than you would want to be.
“It comes back to being smart and not giving them easy opportunities to get into the game while capitalising on the chances we get to get hold of the ball. Keep attacking and get our shape and rhythm into the game that way.”
Scotland’s one remaining injury issue dissolved overnight with Duncan Taylor declared fit to take his place on the bench.