4. England vs. Scotland
International rugby’s original rivalry. The teams first met (complete with 20 players a side) back in 1871 and have been at it hammer and tongs ever since for the Calcutta Cup.
Sadly, for Scottish fans at least, the one-sided nature of fixture in recent years has taken the sheen off the contest a little in terms of competitiveness. Anyone wishing to see what this fixture means to Scotland should view the infamous 1990 clash when David Sole and co broke English grand slam dreams. The fixture does sometimes bring moments of mutual love and cooperation though.
In 1989 Scotland’s John Jeffery and England’s Dean Richards shared a drunken kick around with the Calcutta Cup on the streets of Edinburgh. Repairing it wasn’t cheap.