In their harrowing 30-21 Calcutta Cup defeat by Scotland at Murrayfield, England plumbed new depths by conceding a staggering 22 turnovers and 25 handling errors.
Those shocking statistics were the worst any team has managed during this year’s tournament, and gave England no chance of winning.
• Stephen Jones’s report: England all heart but no power
In an error-strewn match, The Times has identified the moments England most clearly shot themselves in the foot in Edinburgh — a staggering total of 28 across the 80 minutes, meaning Steve Borthwick’s side made an obvious mistake every three minutes on average.
First half: 15 mistakes
1min 3sec After a fast start, with England playing wide then kicking back right to try to expose the Scotland defence, wing Tommy Freeman is bundled into touch and Scotland escape from their lineout.
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2min 12sec England are up to the Scottish 22, with penalty advantage, but Danny Care throws a poor, dribbly pass to the blind side which evades Ellis Genge and is knocked forward by Henry Slade.
9min 20sec England set up a rehearsed strike move from a lineout in the Scotland half, with Care feeding Slade at first receiver. The centre pumps as if to pass towards Ben Earl next to him, then checks, instead trying to find George Ford in the pod behind, but the ball hits Earl’s hip.
11min 5sec Just outside the Scottish 22, England string together a series of poor passes. George Furbank throws a ball high above Ford’s head, which checks his run, and Ford’s next four-metre pass is slightly too quick and in front of centre Ollie Lawrence, who drops it under no Scottish pressure.
15min 39sec England manage to spoil a Scottish lineout, with George Turner’s throw evading Jamie Ritchie peeling off the back. However, Care’s long box-kick from the next ruck goes out on the full.
17min 22sec Lawrence drops another ball from a set play. England try to strike from a lineout around the Scottish 22, but Slade’s inside ball to his centre partner is spilled.
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17min 49sec A negative follows a positive. Furbank catches a high kick lofted by Ford, is driven back in the tackle by Sione Tuipolotu, and then in trying to move the ball away Care drops a Jamie George pass by a ruck. From the next scrum, Scotland score as Huw Jones splits the midfield and pops a pass to Duhan van der Merwe to finish.
23min 44sec Scotland bundle an English maul into touch, after it splinters, so a good attacking position is wasted.
26min 11sec Elliot Daly chips towards the Scottish “coffin corner” — deep in their 22 near the touchline — after the English forwards have put them in a decent attacking position. He tries to hit the ball off Kyle Steyn into touch but a Scottish lineout results.
27min 31sec Another lineout strike move, another dropped ball. This time Ford’s two-metre pass is spilled by the onrushing Furbank, despite not being under pressure from the Scottish defence.
28min 54sec Once again, Ford flings his pass too hard and high at Furbank. It hits the full back on the head/shoulder. Scotland centre Jones catches it and feeds Van der Merwe, who runs around Earl and Slade to score from 63 metres out. Scotland now lead 14-10.
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31min 29sec In the outside-centre channel, Daly hits a bad chipped kick straight down the throat of Blair Kinghorn, who kicks long; England kick it back, and Scotland counter from half way, eventually winning a lineout.
33min At that Scottish lineout England steal the throw, but when Ollie Chessum attempts to pass the ball it is intercepted by Scott Cummings. Scotland win a penalty, and Finn Russell kicks it to go 17-10 ahead.
38min 46sec Ford hits an up-and-under too long, into the Scottish 22, so Russell can mark it safely and clear.
40min 20sec Ethan Roots carries in contact, and Scotland spoil the ruck so Care knocks on at the base, which means the whistle blows for half-time.
Second half: 13 mistakes
44min 25sec Cummings beats Roots to a George lineout throw in the England half. Russell tries to kick but is charged down, however Cameron Redpath regathers, breaks clear and then Russell finds Van der Merwe on the open left wing with a cross-kick for his hat-trick try.
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48min 39sec England have penalty advantage, but Slade is intercepted by Steyn trying to flick a pass to Furbank.
49min 50sec After Ford kicks a penalty to make it 24-16, George Martin drops the kick-off. He has no Scottish player near him but fumbles the catch.
54min 43sec Ben Spencer, on for Care at scrum half, tries a grubber kick through the Scottish defence outside their 22, but it ricochets off players’ legs back to England, who then concede a penalty at the next ruck as Andy Christie wins a turnover.
58min 10sec Ford drops back into the pocket and hits a long up-and-under to Kinghorn, who catches under no pressure and Scotland then clear long.
60min 23sec Will Stuart is stripped in a carry by Ewan Ashman, outside the Scottish 22, and they clear as another England attack dies.
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61min 49sec Furbank breaks from deep in the England half, but then throws a poor offload to the floor.
63min 51 sec Earl makes a half-break in his own half, but then Maro Itoje is penalised for sealing off a ruck as Elliot Millar-Mills disrupts.
70min 5sec Itoje is held up by Jack Dempsey and Ashman, in a maul so Scotland win the turnover on their 22-metre line.
71min 17sec Chessum drops a short pass from Furbank on the halfway line.
74min 45sec Fin Smith, on for Ford at fly half, drops an up-and-under just inside his own half.
76min 19sec Lawrence throws a poor, panicked pass to the left wing which falls way in front of Earl and dribbles into touch.
79min Spencer goes alone and is held up in a maul by Ashman and Millar-Mills, and turns over possession. Scotland win the scrum and kick the ball dead to end the game.
