Scotland’s Iwan Tukalo has opened up about a moment before the 1990 Grand Slam decider that truly got the blood pumping.
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Before the game kicked off, Scotland’s players were fired up after a motivational speech from coach Jim Telfer that left them feeling like they were ready to conquer Everest. As they left their base at Edinburgh’s Braid Hills Hotel, they were ready to send England packing.
However, it wasn’t just Telfer’s words that stoked the fire. As Tukalo recalls, things really heated up when Scotland's players spotted England's wives and girlfriends being interviewed live on TV in the far corner of the pitch.
"Before kick-off, we went out on the pitch in our blazers as normal to see what the conditions were like, and we could see, over in the far corner, the girlfriends and wives of the England team being interviewed on TV," Tukalo recalled in his .
My Life in Rugby column, published in The Rugby Paper last February.
"That was another thing that fuelled us because, in our mind, they hadn’t earned the right to set foot on the sacred turf of Murrayfield."
For the Scots, seeing their opponents' partners on the sacred Murrayfield turf was the ultimate fuel for their pre-match fire. In their minds, they hadn’t earned the right to be there. And with the blood boiling, the stage was set for one of rugby's most memorable encounters.
Scotland triumphed 13-7, securing their first Grand Slam in 10 years and etching the match into the annals of Scottish rugby history.
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Fan creates insanely tough quiz about Six Nations and says 'you won't get all five'
Since its origins as the Home Nations Championship in 1883, the Six Nations has grown into one of the most iconic tournaments in rugby, filled with legendary moments, unforgettable upsets, and record-breaking performances.
Think you know your Six Nations history? Test your knowledge and see if you can prove them wrong!
