Tempers flared beneath Murrayfield Stadium long before kick-off when England and Scotland clashed in a heated tunnel altercation ahead of their Six Nations meeting — an incident that placed George Ford squarely at the centre of the storm.
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The flashpoint came after the pre-match warm-up, as both teams made their way back to the dressing rooms. Footage from the tunnel showed a chaotic confrontation erupting, with pushing and shoving between players and staff.
At the heart of it was Scotland back-rower Ryan Wilson, who had reportedly been attempting to “get inside the head” of Ford in the build-up to the Calcutta Cup clash.
As tensions escalated, England captain Owen Farrell forced his way through a group of Scotland players in 2018 to confront Wilson directly. Farrell appeared visibly incensed, barging past opponents as coaches and support staff scrambled to keep the sides apart.
The scuffle quickly descended into what many dubbed “tunnel-gate,” with raised voices and flaring tempers setting the tone for one of rugby’s fiercest rivalries.
Aftermath of ‘tunnel-gate’
The episode became one of the most talked-about moments of that year’s Championship. While no formal citing followed in relation to the on-field contest, the incident did not simply fade away.
Wilson later revealed he faced consequences from the Rugby Football Union in the aftermath of the confrontation. Speaking to RugbyPass in November several years later, he explained that he had been banned from returning to Twickenham following the clash.
“I remember that game,” Wilson said.
“I was actually injured and after tunnel-gate, after everything that happened in the tunnel against England, I’d lined up a corporate gig at Twickenham.
Had it all lined up, a little bit of cash, all excited, only to get a message back saying the RFU have banned you from Twickenham Stadium after everything that happened the year before.”
The ban meant Wilson was unable to return to England’s headquarters in a professional capacity, underlining how seriously the governing body viewed the confrontation.
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