Claims of English ‘arrogance’ are laughed off by Farrell

Scotland’s interim head coach Scott Johnson had already had a dig at their resources before former chief Jim Telfer went a step further by branding England as “arrogant”.

In suggesting England are not as good as they think they are, Telfer said: “They are too arrogant, too pretentious and too condescending to realise they have a problem.”

Farrell insisted he does not recognise the accusation and revealed the players have laughed off the jibes, which he dismissed as hackneyed cliches designed to get the Scots fired up before their trip to Twickenham.

The England management under Stuart Lancaster have worked hard over the last 12 months to eradicate any sense of arrogance from the national team.

Farrell said: “I definitely don’t recognise anything he has said.

“People say this every year about the English anyway. It has stuck now.

“That is why we take it tongue-in-cheek. We know exactly what we are about.

“A couple of the lads have seen it and they are all taking the mick out of each other.

“They think it’s quite funny about those who have been mentioned. There are a few jokes flying around the place.”

Telfer’s comments have stoked the boiler ahead of Saturday’s Six Nations opener at a ground where Scotland have not won for 30 years.

Farrell said: “He’s Scottish isn’t he, very passionate about his country and he wants to give his lads as much belief as he can.

“He cares about his country. It is him trying to do the right thing by his own country, to try and motivate them.

“That is what he has always been about really – passion and stirring a few feathers up along the way. It is what you want, a bit of passion.”

New Zealand-born Sean Maitland – who qualifies through his grandparents – will make his Scotland debut alongside his Glasgow Warriors team-mate and hooker Dougie Hall.

Johnson has made six personnel changes to the side that ended the autumn with a 21-15 defeat to Tonga – a result that prompted Andy Robinson’s resignation.

No 8 Johnnie Beattie is recalled, with Ruaridh Jackson returning at stand-off, Sean Lamont moving from the wing to centre and Greig Laidlaw starting at scrum-half.

Uncapped Gloucester centre Billy Twelvetrees is in England’s 23-man matchday squad while Jonathan Joseph is one of nine men released back to their clubs.