England will be looking to bounce back from their disappointing defeat at the hands of Six Nations leaders Ireland last time out when they play host to Scotland this weekend.

The Red Rose need to respond in style against a winless Scotland side in the Calcutta Cup clash at Twickenham if they are to renew hopes of clawing the title from Ireland's grasp in the closing weeks of the championship campaign.

While Josef Schmidt's charges face a tricky-looking trip to take on Wales in Cardiff, things should be, on paper at least, a little more straightforward for an England side eager to build some momentum ahead of this autumn's World Cup.

Head coach Stuart Lancaster has admitted in the build-up to the game that he is expecting a response from his players following that Dublin setback, aiming to instead build on the positives witnessed against Wales and Italy in the opening two games.

Mike Brown and Courtney Lawes have both been recalled for the must-win match in the only two changes made by Lancaster, with Tom Croft and Brad Barritt both being ruled out for the remainder of the campaign.

Scotland have had a major injury blow of their own to contend with this week with news that Glasgow Warriors centre Alex Dunbar faces up to nine months on the sidelines due to injury, meaning that he is a big doubt for the World Cup later this year.

Dunbar was initially expected to start against England, although having damaged his knee shortly before the squad was announced, coach Vern Cotter opted to ring the changes with five fresh faces brought into the fold.

A surprise defeat in their last outing at home to Italy leaves Scotland in desperate need of a victory against the Auld Enemy if they are to avoid picking up the dreaded wooden spoon, with that 22-19 reverse at the hands of the Azzurri coming after equally disappointing defeats against France and Wales.

You have to go way back to 1983 to find the last time Scotland prevailed in their great rivals' own back yard, although with nothing to lose as such, Scotland are likely throw all they have at the English challenge.

Captain Greig Laidlaw claimed earlier this week that their opponents are not invincible, as the recent defeat at Ireland proved, and should they get their set-up right then the Six Nations' bottom side could very well spring a surprise.

England:

Recent form: LWWWWL

Starting lineup: Marler, Hartley, Cole, Attwood, Lawes, Haskell, Robshaw, B Vunipola, B Youngs, Ford, Nowell, Burrell, Joseph, Watson, Brown

Scotland:

Recent form: WLWLLL

Starting lineup: Hogg, Fife, Bennett, Scott, Seymour, Russell, Laidlaw, Dickinson, Ford, Murray, Hamilton, Gray, Harley, Cowan, Denton

Sports Mole says: 30-14