Make no mistake, this is a huge game for England and Scotland. After the anti-climax of an uninspiring defeat in Ireland, England must strike back and show that they are a nation to be feared at this year’s World Cup. Scotland, after a promising start under Vern Cotter, are without a win, have lost at home to Italy and are looking increasingly desperate. Their players need to put in a performance to restore some pride. So I was surprised to see men from each camp this week making comments that could make things worse rather than better. This is a huge game for England's players - but they are not an arrogant group and will look to perform well . Scotland go through their paces at Twickenham on Friday - it's an important game for them to restore pride . England forwards coach Graham Rowntree talked about the home side being able to ‘win by many’ if they get their game right. I have absolutely no problem with him saying this privately to his players, as it is true. And putting pressure on them in public is an effective way to add pressure and focus. But sometimes saying something this provocative makes him and his team a hostage to fortune and feeds the stereotype that England are arrogant, which I don’t believe we are. In his youth the brilliant French back rower Imanol Harinordoquy used to employ similar tactics and I'd chuckle, knowing how characters like Lawrence Dallaglio, Neil Back and Martin Johnson would react. I doubt Scotland will come back to haunt Rowntree in the same way but why risk it? Then we have Scotland’s Stuart Hogg, a brilliant player - on the back of losing to Italy at home, a run of 15 games at Twickenham without a win and the last seven games conceding on average 36 points - saying England do not respect Scotland. You earn respect by winning big games and Scotland’s performance against Italy suggests it was they who were guilty of not respecting their opponents. It’s time for them to look in the mirror, regain composure and forget the old stereotypes. It has been a long time since I have seen a Scottish side play with a real threat of winning at Twickenham and as a result the rivalry has inevitably diminished and is mostly myth and hype. I really do hope they make a game of it or the Mexican wave could be on us after 20 minutes. This England team is not arrogant - in fact, in many ways I’d like to see them carry themselves more confidently to demonstrate self-belief - and Hogg’s comments were wide of the mark. Scotland’s players should look at themselves and ask themselves if they really believe they are good enough to win at grounds like Twickenham. Recent history suggests not. They need to be careful or they will not be back at Twickenham this year - they are only scheduled to play at HQ at the World Cup if they get out of an awkward group containing South Africa and Samoa. As for England, the most worrying aspect of that defeat to Ireland was their lack of intensity at the breakdown so I was pleased to hear that they have been having some pretty spicy training sessions this week. Stuart Hogg said that England do not respect Scotland which could make things worse at Twickenham . This England team are not arrogant, in fact, they could do with carrying more confidently to show self-belief . England's players trudge off the pitch at the Aviva Stadium after their defeat to Ireland last time out . The breakdown is the responsibility of every single player in the team, not just your back row. It is an area of the game where there is the most physical contact, you need to be brave and you can really hurt your opposition here and we came off second best in Dublin. All very good being tough in training but it is on the field of play where it matters most. There should be real anger within the squad about the way they underperformed in Dublin. This is World Cup year, England are at home and they need momentum and to cause fear and dread among their opponents. England failed to fire any meaningful shots and as a result the Grand Slam has gone and the Championship is no longer in their hands. They must strike back immediately. I want to see England take out their pent-up frustration on Scotland by producing their most clinical, technically proficient and above all fierce performance. George Ford is our ‘creative director’ and I want to see his most expansive game, showcasing his best imaginative rugby. If he can achieve that, Twickenham will burst into life. England showed a worrying lack of intensity at the breakdown in Dublin, which is everyone's responsibility . George Ford is our ‘creative director’ and I want to see his most expansive game against the Scots . There is no question Scotland are massive underdogs going into this game but underdogs will always lift their performance levels and it is up to the favourite to respond. England must respond. I was involved in three major upsets in my time as England coach and I remember every single one as if they were yesterday. They were all bitterly painful experiences, England just one match away from a Grand Slam on each occasion. I remember Wales’ Scott Gibbs dancing his way over at Wembley in 1999. I watched it the other day again with my sons and it almost ruined my weekend all over again. Wales’ Scott Gibbs dancing his way over at Wembley in 1999, watching it the other day was horrible again . Andy Nicol (right) showed sheer joy at the final whistle at Murrayfield in 2000 when beating England . Keith Wood bulldozed his way across for the match-winning try at the old Lansdowne Road in 2001 . Then there was Scotland’s Andy Nicol’s sheer joy on the final whistle at Murrayfield in 2000 and Ireland’s Keith Wood bulldozing his way across for the match-winning try from a line-out peel at the old Lansdowne Road in 2001. Three great players, three very painful memories. But it’s important to say that all those upsets were away from home. This game is at Twickenham, where Scotland have not won in 32 years and I simply cannot see England losing this game. There will be no upset as long as England clearly understand the word ‘basics’. I was taught the importance of this word by a brilliant man called Yehuda Shinar, who was an Israeli psychologist I visited several times in Tel Aviv and who worked with me behind the scenes for a period with England. He knew nothing about rugby but he understood and studied winning - ‘basics’ is a key word in winning, never more so than when you are favourites - and his definition of basics is: ‘In every sport there are several obligatory steps. Each step is comprised of several Dos and Don’ts. If you do not follow them to the letter you can hardly expect to win. Therefore, they are defined as the BASICS.’ Captain Chris Robshaw was bold to kick to touch rather than take three points a few times against Ireland . England lost the ball at the line-out and that cannot happen again - if England dominate there they will win big . We then defined England’s basics quite simply as line-out and scrums - in the three Grand Slams we lost, simply we did not get these basics right. I hope England have spent this week drilling their set-piece to death. They need to be more unpredictable in these areas, especially the line-out. Chris Robshaw was bold to kick to touch rather than take three points a few times against Ireland but then the line-out which followed was stolen. This cannot happen again. Courtney Lawes’ club partnership with hooker Dylan Hartley should help rectify that. If they dominate that area of the game - and I am sure England will - expect a very high score.
England must bounce back from the defeat by Ireland in RBS 6 Nations . Desperate Scotland need to restore pride after a campaign without a win . Graham Rowntree's words could make his team hostage to fortune . Scotland's Stuart Hogg said England do not respect their opponents . But England are not arrogant - are Scotland good enough to win here? If England dominate at set-pieces they can win big - and I'm sure they will .