ENGLAND’S TEAM sheet may be unfamiliar but some things never change. A forecast of foul weather and a gimlet-eyed Scotland team are all but compulsory when the Calcutta Cup is contested at Murrayfield and the 2012 edition is no different.

Andy Robinson is even urging the home side to revive the marauding spirit of John Jeffrey, Finlay Calder and Derek White, not a battle-cry he often used during his intensely patriotic England career.

Since reinventing himself as Robbo the Bruce, though, the former Bath flanker now hankers after the glorious chaos which was once the Scottish pack’s no-nonsense trademark, particularly in the 1980s when Jim Telfer employed a shepherd’s crook in training to drive his players ever lower over the ball.

If their successors can play at a similarly swift tempo, Robinson believes England will endure a challenging afternoon regardless of the elements. “We’ve got to create that chaos again in the way we play,” he said.

“I’ve challenged the players to be able to play that way. Being able to play quickly is the key . . . we’re at our best when we’re right on the edge. It’s also about creating mayhem by the way we defend.”

Throw in Scotland’s desire to atone for their narrow, deeply frustrating defeat by England in the World Cup pool stages and there is no shortage of spice to the broth. The home pack has 239 caps, more than the entire England XV. Robinson is also conscious that England have not won or even managed a try at Murrayfield since 2004.

“The guys have started to gain confidence when they play England. That belief wasn’t always there before.”

The Gloucester flanker Alasdair Strokosch has already let slip Robinson’s deep-rooted desire to hammer the English – “I think he hates them more than we do” – and the Glasgow scrumhalf Chris Cusiter also predicts the visitors will receive an uncomfortable welcome.

“When you go out to warm up against England it does feel a bit different,” admitted Cusiter. “Playing at Murrayfield is a big factor and we need the crowd on our side early. We really want England to have a bad day and, if we can give the crowd something to cheer, it’ll definitely help.”

Robinson is in no mood for excuses, aware the Scots have won their opening game of a Six Nations Championship once in 12 years.

“There’s nowhere for us to hide as people,” said Robinson. “We’ve spoken about channelling all our energies into a winning performance. . .we don’t want to be coming to the last game going for a wooden spoon.”

England’s interim coach, Stuart Lancaster, will echo that sentiment on the eve of his first Test at the helm. His assistant, Andy Farrell, nevertheless has seized upon reports that victorious Calcutta Cup T-shirts have already been printed north of the border and is not fooled by Robinson’s chaos theories.

“We know what Andy’s trying to do,” said a smiling Farrell, whose 20-year-old son Owen is among the debutants. “We’ll be ready for any type of game Scotland throw at us.”

But if Scotland kick accurately over the head of a retreating Chris Ashton, ruffle the composure of the halfbacks, Ben Youngs and Charlie Hodgson, and maintain their set-piece discipline, no amount of rekindled comradeship and humility will save the visitors. While Scottish independence remains an uncertain prospect, home rule is distinctly possible this weekend.

SCOTLAND v ENGLAND

(Glasgow) R Lamont

(Edinburgh) L Jones

(Edinburgh) N De Luca

(Scarlets) S Lamont

(Castres) M Evans

(Cardiff Blues) D Parks

(Glasgow) C Cusiter

(Edinburgh) A Jacobsen

(Edinburgh, capt) R Ford

(Newcastle) E Murray

(Glasgow) R Gray

(Gloucester) J Hamilton

(Gloucester) A Strokosch

(Edinburgh) R Rennie

(Edinburgh) D Denton

Replacements: S Lawson (Gloucester), G Cross (Edinburgh), A Kellock (Glasgow), J Barclay (Glasgow), M Blair (Edinburgh), G Laidlaw (Edinburgh), G Morrison (Glasgow).

Referee: George Clancy (Ire). Ass refs: Romain Poite (Fr) Leighton Hodges (Wales).

B Foden (Northampton)

C Ashton (Northampton)

B Barritt (Saracens)

O Farrell (Saracens)

D Strettle (Saracens);

C Hodgson (Saracens)

B Youngs (Leicester)

A Corbisiero (London Irish)

D Hartley (Northampton)

D Cole (Leicester)

M Botha (Saracens)

T Palmer (Stade Francais)

T Croft (Leicester)

C Robshaw (Harlequins, capt)

P Dowson (Northampton)

Replacements: R Webber (Wasps), M Stevens (Saracens), G Parling (Leicester), B Morgan (Scarlets), L Dickson (Northampton), J Turner-Hall (Harlequins), M Brown (Harlequins)

Murrayfield, Today, kick-off 5pm