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The Grudge: Two Nations, One Match, No Holds Barred
Murrayfield, the Calcutta Cup, March 1990. England vs. Scotlandwinner-takes-all for the Five Nations Grand Slam, the biggest prize in northern hemisphere rugby. Will Carling's England are the very embodiment of Margaret Thatcher's Britainsnarling, brutish, and all-conquering. Scotland are the underdogssecond-class citizens from a land that's become the testing ground for the most unpopular tax in living memory: Thatcher's Poll Tax. Fifteen men in blue jerseys are plotting the downfall of the English oppressors. In Edinburgh, nationalism is rising highwhat happens in the stadium will resound far beyond the pitch. The Grudge brilliantly recaptures a day that has gone down in history. This is the real story of an extraordinary game, told with astounding insight and almost unprecedented access to key players, coaches, and supporters on both sides (Will Carling, Ian McGeechan, Brian Moore, and the rest). Tom English has produced a gripping account of a titanic struggle that thrusts the reader right into the heart of the action. Game on.
- GenresNonfictionSportsHistory
260 pages, Paperback
First published March 4, 2010
8 people are currently reading
61 people want to read
About the author
Tom English
6 books3 followersTom English (born 8 March 1991) is an Australian rugby union footballer who plays as a centre or wing for the Melbourne Rebels.
English is a former Australia Sevens representative. In 2011, he was named at inside centre for Sydney University in the final of the Shute Shield. The side was to be captained by Rebels flanker Tim Davidson.
In late 2012 English joined the Melbourne Rebels Extended Playing Squad. He stayed with the Rebels into 2013 and was named on the bench to play the Western Force in Round 1 and ACT Brumbies for Round 2 but didn't play. He made his Super Rugby debut when he replaced inside centre Rory Sidey against the Reds in Round 4. Seven weeks later he started on the right wing and played 58 minutes before being replaced by Lachlan Mitchell.
In 2014, English faced competition for a place in the Rebels centres from Mitch Inman and New Zealand import Tamati Ellison.
In May 2014 English was invited to train with the Wallaby squad preparing for series against France.
English is a former Australia Sevens representative. In 2011, he was named at inside centre for Sydney University in the final of the Shute Shield. The side was to be captained by Rebels flanker Tim Davidson.
In late 2012 English joined the Melbourne Rebels Extended Playing Squad. He stayed with the Rebels into 2013 and was named on the bench to play the Western Force in Round 1 and ACT Brumbies for Round 2 but didn't play. He made his Super Rugby debut when he replaced inside centre Rory Sidey against the Reds in Round 4. Seven weeks later he started on the right wing and played 58 minutes before being replaced by Lachlan Mitchell.
In 2014, English faced competition for a place in the Rebels centres from Mitch Inman and New Zealand import Tamati Ellison.
In May 2014 English was invited to train with the Wallaby squad preparing for series against France.
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Displaying 1 - 21 of 21 reviews
May 12, 2018
Earlier this year (2018) Scotland won the annual Calcutta Cup fixture, their first victory in the series since 2008. A work colleague who attends all the home Scotland rugby matches told me he hadn’t enjoyed a match so much since the 1990 Grand Slam game. That put me in mind of this book which I had seen advertised but had never read. I’ve always been impressed with Tom English as a sportswriter and, being an Irishman, he is well placed to present an account that’s fair to both teams.
The situation leading up to the 1990 fixture was that both teams had won their previous 3 fixtures. It meant that, for the first time, the match would decide not just the Calcutta Cup, but the Five Nations Championship, the Triple Crown and the Grand Slam. Although both teams were on a winning streak, Scotland’s victories had been hard fought, whereas England had crushed all their opponents. To say the English media were confident about their team beating Scotland would be to say the Spartans at Thermopylae were slightly outnumbered. I recall reading a supposedly “quality” newspaper after Scotland’s third win in the Championship, where the writer opined that “these worthy Scots” would be hard pushed to limit England to a 30-point margin when the teams met.
This was an immensely enjoyable read that provides fascinating portraits of some of the players and coaches and an insight into the psychology of top sports stars. The author interviewed almost all those involved but concentrates on four – Will Carling, Brian Moore, John Jeffries and Jim Telfer. Will Carling is portrayed as someone very different from his public image. By contrast, Moore comes over as even more pugnacious than his public persona (if that’s possible), but the reader can understand, and even respect, the man’s motivation. Through his portraits of Telfer and Jeffries, the author also captures perfectly the “feel” of the heartland of Scottish rugby, in the rural Borders region. The match itself is described by the English and Scottish players who took part, and in dramatic fashion.
The author also spends a bit of time on the political background to the match, and Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher’s chronically poor relationship with Scotland, which he argues added to the “grudge” atmosphere surrounding the fixture.
When reading this it probably helps to know something about rugby, but this is well-enough written to be enjoyable to anyone with an interest in sport in general.
The situation leading up to the 1990 fixture was that both teams had won their previous 3 fixtures. It meant that, for the first time, the match would decide not just the Calcutta Cup, but the Five Nations Championship, the Triple Crown and the Grand Slam. Although both teams were on a winning streak, Scotland’s victories had been hard fought, whereas England had crushed all their opponents. To say the English media were confident about their team beating Scotland would be to say the Spartans at Thermopylae were slightly outnumbered. I recall reading a supposedly “quality” newspaper after Scotland’s third win in the Championship, where the writer opined that “these worthy Scots” would be hard pushed to limit England to a 30-point margin when the teams met.
This was an immensely enjoyable read that provides fascinating portraits of some of the players and coaches and an insight into the psychology of top sports stars. The author interviewed almost all those involved but concentrates on four – Will Carling, Brian Moore, John Jeffries and Jim Telfer. Will Carling is portrayed as someone very different from his public image. By contrast, Moore comes over as even more pugnacious than his public persona (if that’s possible), but the reader can understand, and even respect, the man’s motivation. Through his portraits of Telfer and Jeffries, the author also captures perfectly the “feel” of the heartland of Scottish rugby, in the rural Borders region. The match itself is described by the English and Scottish players who took part, and in dramatic fashion.
The author also spends a bit of time on the political background to the match, and Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher’s chronically poor relationship with Scotland, which he argues added to the “grudge” atmosphere surrounding the fixture.
When reading this it probably helps to know something about rugby, but this is well-enough written to be enjoyable to anyone with an interest in sport in general.
June 23, 2024
What a book. What a match. Feel like I need to go away and watch the 1990 tournament now, followed by the Jim Telfer Lions documentary and then read all the books in the bibliography!!
June 4, 2022
3* is maybe a bit harsh, would probably say 3.5 if possible. Overall a good book that describes the events and context in good detail, just a bit of a slower read than my usual preferences.
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August 7, 2011Can it really be 20 years since Scotland beat Will Carling's England at Murrayfield to take perhaps the most dramatic Grand Slam of all time? Tom English's shimmering tale of mind games, raw physicality and clashing ideologies includes definitive first-hand accounts from all those involved, most notably Carling himself, England hooker Brian Moore and Scottish coach Jim Telfer. A treat from start to finish, even for non-rugby fans, The Grudge provides a telling insight into the effect of Thatcherism on Scotland, the transformation of a centuries-old cross-border rivalry into something close to hatred and the minds of driven, obsessed and often witty men for whom rugby union is not just a game, but life itself. Mixing history, politics and sport into the fast-paced narrative of a thriller, this is a cracker of a book and I cannot praise it highly enough. Get out, buy a copy and bring the past to life.
March 23, 2010
I was 13 when this match was played and although I remember it vividly I wasn't really aware of some of the politics around it and I certainly didn't really know the back story of some of the players and coaches. This really has put the most monumental match in Scottish rugby history in context for me and I enjoyed reading about it again as much as I enjoyed watching it the first time round. I suspect this is probably aimed mainly at a Scottish audience but it's not excessively biased and should be a must read for anyone who's interested in the great sporting rivalries.
April 29, 2013
Quite possibly the best rugby book there is. I remember the match in question (was only ten) but this book places into context the goings on at the time that a young boy wouldn't know and makes it clear why this clash, and pretty much every England-Scotland match since has been a grudge match with a real edge to it bordering on hatred.
February 1, 2025
A quick read, but seemed fitting on the weekend of this year’s Six Nations tournament starting. This book focuses on the 1990 tournament, which at the time was the Five Nations, and the ultimate denouement of England and Scotland playing at Murrayfield in the final match with the Grand Slam up for grabs.
I was a 14 year old sports fanatic at the time, with the names and feelings very familiar. The story is told engagingly, as well as both passionately and dispassionately - you get a real sense of the enormity of the occasion, without any specific bias tripping it up. All of this means that as an Englishman who has grown up since the age of 4 in Scotland, I didn’t feel it was taking a particular side (beyond it naturally being more positive for Scotland given the result).
I was a 14 year old sports fanatic at the time, with the names and feelings very familiar. The story is told engagingly, as well as both passionately and dispassionately - you get a real sense of the enormity of the occasion, without any specific bias tripping it up. All of this means that as an Englishman who has grown up since the age of 4 in Scotland, I didn’t feel it was taking a particular side (beyond it naturally being more positive for Scotland given the result).
November 11, 2018
Tom English is really a masterful storyteller and gets right to the heart of the rivalry.
I bought the book before getting a train to Scotland and with Telfer's speeches in the book I felt like I could run out at Murrayfield to take on the 20 stone Fijians.
An amazing deep dive into the politics of the time, the lives of the players and coaches and the fateful game told through players recollection is excellent.
Thoroughly enjoyed English using press clippings to show why the Scots really do dislike the English when it comes to sport.
Read in two sittings, a must for all Scottish rugby fans.
I bought the book before getting a train to Scotland and with Telfer's speeches in the book I felt like I could run out at Murrayfield to take on the 20 stone Fijians.
An amazing deep dive into the politics of the time, the lives of the players and coaches and the fateful game told through players recollection is excellent.
Thoroughly enjoyed English using press clippings to show why the Scots really do dislike the English when it comes to sport.
Read in two sittings, a must for all Scottish rugby fans.
January 6, 2026
Tom English is a wonderful sports writer and journalist and he uses these skills to excellent effect in this masterful retelling of an epic moment in rugby history. Scotland and England get their dues, with interviews and POVs from both sides adding fascinating insight into the teams and their colourful cast of real life characters. English does an excellent job of grounding this in the political Thatcherite climate of the time. Gripping and interesting and thoroughly entertaining.
October 23, 2019
Too many sports books are linear and solely descriptive, The Grudge is not. English embeds the game in Scottish and English history, social class and the politics of the time. He also has a fantastic ability to draw the main personalities in the story. When Jim Telfer appears it is almost as if he is lurking over you, Brian Moore is both bristling and confounding.
November 2, 2019
A brilliant piece of sports writing
A brilliant piece of sports writing, taking a seminal game and placing in the much larger context of the political landscape. The players’ back stories and the personalities that shape the story are rich and textured. I’ve known the result since it happened and I was still holding my breath during the recap.
A brilliant piece of sports writing, taking a seminal game and placing in the much larger context of the political landscape. The players’ back stories and the personalities that shape the story are rich and textured. I’ve known the result since it happened and I was still holding my breath during the recap.
April 9, 2020
It’s taken time
It’s taken me a long time to come back to “that” day. I was lucky, got a ticket through an army mate. I think I’ve stayed away from the various books, TV shows as I never thought they could capture the essence of what I felt like and meant to the Scots that were there. Simply this book does and so much more. A must for rugby fans, and non, of any persuasion!
It’s taken me a long time to come back to “that” day. I was lucky, got a ticket through an army mate. I think I’ve stayed away from the various books, TV shows as I never thought they could capture the essence of what I felt like and meant to the Scots that were there. Simply this book does and so much more. A must for rugby fans, and non, of any persuasion!
May 23, 2020
This was the first non-fiction read that I really enjoyed! The first half was a little confusing, what with my limited knowledge of the Rugby Union, but the second half was hard to put down. The book goes into the psychology of the sport, and those of the players, especially surrounding that historical match.
November 6, 2023
Terrific stuff. Some great sports writing, makes you feel as if you were actually there (which I wasn't). I remember this game very well and I'm just amazed it's taken me so long to get round to reading it.
July 27, 2019
ONE OF THE BEST SPORTING BOOKS i HAVE READ - GRIPPING, CLEVERLY WRITTEN WITH A SUPERB STRUCTURE
May 18, 2020
Superb. Empathetic to all sides of the argument, forensically analysing whether the Scots are whingeing or the English arrogant and balances reasons why. Impeccably researched.
December 31, 2024
The best sports book I've ever read. No need to be a rugby fan to enjoy the h-e-double toothpicks out of this one. It's fantastic!
The Grudge....Five Stars.
The Grudge....Five Stars.
August 24, 2012
An excellent analysis of the context and consequences of the cataclysmic 1990 Calcutta Cup match which saw David Sole's Scotland march out onto the Murrayfield turf and wrest the Grand Slam from the imperious English. This isn't just for Scots, or even rugby fans as it also touches on the political backdrop of Thatcher and the Poll Tax, an experience that not only added venom to this sporting encounter, but has probably reshaped Scottish-English relations ever since. Indeed I lived in Scotland throughout the period and that experience radically reshaped my attitude to politics and particularly to nationalism. English's ability to offer a balanced perspective, whilst capturing the emotional intensity is excellent, shedding some light on the characters involved that day, who, for the most part, exist in people's minds as either Mel Gibson-esque tartan heroes, or pantomime villains. He even prompted me to look on Brian Moore with a certain grudging respect and understanding, and that took some doing.
November 3, 2013
Anyone who remembers the drama of the 1990 Five Nations rugby finale between Scotland and England will love this book. The author (an Irishman, despite his name) managed to persuade the players from both the losing English and winning Scottish sides to participate. Interspersing interviews and insightful accounts of the political backdrop (Thatcher had just started "testing" the poll tax on the Scots causing much resentment), Tom English recounts the build-up with remarkable dramatic tension. The exploration of the relationship between Jim Telfer and the Scots players - a mixture of genuine fear and grudging admiration - is especially brilliant. In the account of the game itself, anyone familiar with the game will be able to hear the Murrayfield roars... A superb book - if you're interested, you'll read it in a day like I did!
August 10, 2015
Not the sort of thing I would normally pick up but I really enjoyed this book about the grudge match between England and scotland. The mix of cultural and political factors that increased the tension of what is otherwise a fun match added a lot of interest. It was also interestin to look back on rugby at the cusp of the change from amateurs to professional sport
December 4, 2025
Great read, but then the best team did in fact win !!!
Displaying 1 - 21 of 21 reviews