When Scotland last beat England at Twickenham – and Billie Jean was No 1

Michael Jackson was No 1 with Billie Jean; Britain was slowly getting used to waking up to breakfast TV; compact discs went on sale for the first time; the press were extremely excited that Prince William had two new teeth; and Arthur Scargill’s call for a miners’ strike was rejected by NUM members. March 1983 feels like a million years ago. It is also the last time Scotland won a game of rugby at Twickenham.

The ground has never been a happy hunting ground for Scotland. Before their victory in 1983, Scotland had only won there three times: in 1926, 1938, and 1971. Despite their appalling record and the fact they had already lost all three of their other matches in the 1983 Five Nations, Scotland’s trip to Twickenham offered them a brilliant opportunity to beat England.

The build-up

England had been installed as pre-tournament favourites but they lost at home to France in their opening match and then drew 13-13 in Cardiff, a result that led to skipper Steve Smith being dropped from the squad. Chief selector Budge Rogers announced that Nigel Melville would take Smith’s place at scrum-half. “I’m not bitter but I’m sad, because leading England is a great honour,” said Smith. “I’m certainly not retiring and will be available whenever my country needs me.”

It was a good job Smith left the door open. Melville broke down in training and Smith was recalled to the team, with Nick Youngs – who had been named in the original squad – ignored completely. Smith didn’t resume his captaincy; that honour had already been handed to John Scott.

Scotland had been progressing under coach Jim Telfer. Since his appointment in 1980, Telfer had led them to five victories in 12 Five Nations matches, which was a big improvement considering they had not won a single game in 1978 or 1979. So losing their opening three matches (15-13 to Ireland, 19-15 to France, and 19-15 to Wales) was hugely disappointing. The wooden spoon was looming on the horizon.

Scotland’s scrum-half had also lost the captaincy, but the talented Roy Laidlaw kept his place in the team, with prop Jim Aitken asked to become the fourth Scot to skipper a team to victory at Twickenham. “My career has hit an unexpected new high,” said Aitken, who wasn’t even picked for Scotland’s opening fixture in the tournament. His new status as pack leader made him an ideal candidate for the captaincy and the move freed up Laidlaw to concentrate on his own game with stunning effect.

Scotland were also handed a huge boost with the return of fly-half John Rutherford, who had recovered from a shoulder operation and was able to resume his sublime partnership with Laidlaw. The half-backs would play a crucial part in the victory at Twickenham, as would locks Tom Smith and Iain Paxton.

With changes aplenty, the press struggled to pick the likely winners. “England versus Scotland is just about the biggest home banker in modern sport. I expect the sporrans to be at half-mast again,” wrote Tony Bodley in the Express, but Richard Streeton saw it differently, concluding in the Times: “Reservations about England’s effectiveness as an attacking unit and respect for Scotland’s potential lead me to expect a narrow Scottish win.”

The match

England drew first blood in the match, when the recalled fly-half John Horton scored a drop goal after just two minutes. It was to be one of the few highlights for the home team. Peter Dods and Dusty Hare exchanged a series of penalties to make it 9-9 at the break – the score clearly visible on the two new screens installed at Twickenham.

Laidlaw scored the first of Scotland’s two tries after the restart. He picked the ball inside England’s 22, went on a jinking run and evaded four men before touching down. Laidlaw was putting in a captain’s performance one match too late – to borrow Fred Trueman’s tribute to Ian Botham at Headingley in 1981. Dods’ conversion pushed Scotland 15-9 in front and, after another penalty for England and a second drop goal for Scotland, Smith scored a try to give Scotland a fully deserved 22-12 win.

The forwards battle for the ball at Twickenham.

Photograph: Colorsport/Rex/Shutterstock

The fallout

There was no doubting who had been the star of the show. “Scotland’s individual hero was their scrum-half, Laidlaw, who deserves a statue on the Forth Bridge,” wrote Streeton in the Times. “His quicksilver forays in attack, splendid passing and defensive work were the hinge on which all Scotland’s efforts turned.”

For England, the criticism came thick and fast. Rogers was quick to blame the players he had selected, saying: “Some looked as if they didn’t want the ball. They looked tired and lethargic from the opening stages. Our midfield play was predictable. When we did work an overlap, we didn’t use the extra man. We chipped the ball away, or the man in possession turned inside.”

Tony Swift, Huw Davies and Smith were all dropped for the next match against Ireland. Smith would never play for England again, but he didn’t leave without airing his own opinion. “I’m not frightened to say what most of us have been thinking since the draw against the Welsh. We were on a high note after achieving England’s best result in Cardiff for 20 years. That was the time when selectors and players needed to pull together. But other players and myself were publicly criticised. The team’s confidence has been destroyed since Cardiff. It’s a great pity after all the work over the past three years.”

The aftermath

Unsurprisingly, England went to Dublin and put in an insipid performance, losing 25-15 and once again failing to score a try. Mike Davis’s time as coach ended with the wooden spoon and Rogers followed him out the door in June. In the next four years England would win just five matches in the Five Nations.

Scotland, however, went from strength to strength, their Grand Slam triumph in 1984 completing a turnaround in fortunes for a team that had struggled at the start of the decade. The victory at Twickenham in 1983 undoubtedly gave Telfer and his players belief. However, even in their successful years, Scotland never repeated that victory. After making long trips back and forth to London for 38 years hoping to see another victory, it would be a bittersweet occasion for Scotland fans if their team finally won at Twickenham on Saturday and none of them were there to witness it.