Johnno: Enjoy the challenge

England boss ready for a hostile atmosphere

Johnson: Challenge

England manager Martin Johnson has told his players they will have to rise to the challenge of facing a hostile atmosphere at Murrayfield on Saturday.

England will travel to Edinburgh for the Calcutta Cup match against Scotland having seen the wheels come off their Grand Slam challenge after the 20-16 defeat to Ireland.

And Johnson knows his players will now have to tame a partisan Scottish crowd if they are to keep alive their hopes of winning the RBS Six Nations title.

"We only had ourselves to blame for the defeat to Ireland. To say we have to improve sounds insignificant, we have to find a way of winning Test matches," said Johnson.

"You don't like to lose but that is part of the team's experience now. We will be better for the Ireland game. To sit in a losing dressing room after a Test match is not what you do it for, is it?

Volatile

"It will be a tough Saturday evening if we lose up there. A team needs to have that conscience and that response and think 'right, we are not going to be sat there again'.

"The mindset has to be right. We are going away from home. You have got to enjoy that challenge in playing in volatile situations because that is what you get into it for.

"Going away from home and trying to silence hostile crowds is what it is all about. It is like any away ground, the opposition will raise themselves.

"A lot of rugby is about energy, urgency, passion and emotion and we can't come second in that area. Then it comes down to execution and tactical thinking.

"That is the challenge whenever you go away from home, wherever it is.

"In the Six Nations all these games have their own history and the countries have their own history which makes it fun."