England comfortably avoided a banana-skin possibility in dispatching Scotland 20-0 in Six Nations rugby on Saturday.

England's only win in the four most recent trips north had been tight, and Scotland was expected after losing 28-6 to Ireland six days ago to show some venom against its archrival.

But Scotland was just as toothless as it was in Dublin, on a parasite-infested Murrayfield pitch not worthy of a test. The English, unchanged from the narrow opening loss to France, justified their coaches' trust by winning the Calcutta Cup for a fifth straight time and giving the ball surprising width for due reward.

Centre Luther Burrell and fullback Mike Brown scored the tries, and England could afford for Owen Farrell to make only half his goalkicks. Scotland scrumhalf Greig Laidlaw, retained ahead of Chris Cusiter for his goalkicking and made captain, missed his two chances, both in the first half when his desperately outclassed side needed a boost.

After two games on the road, England was set for the home match with undefeated Ireland in two weeks.

"Ireland have played really well, but we're confident also," England coach Stuart Lancaster said.

In keeping Scotland scoreless in this fixture for the first time since 1978, Brown said, "The forwards put an outstanding shift in. Faz (Farrell) at 10 and DC (Danny Care) at nine just pulling the strings, it was overall outstanding."

Scotland hasn't scored a try in four straight tests, three of them at home, and travels next to Italy, where it hasn't won in eight years.

The statistics made dire reading for Scotland: 16 penalties conceded, 14 turnovers, 5 lineouts lost and one telescope to see where England's 22 was.

"You're not going to win with a lineout that doesn't work," Cusiter said.

"We just couldn't get anything going. We seemed to be committing too many to rucks, not getting any fast ball, and we started missing tackles at the end. We just could never put them under pressure. It's hugely disappointing."

The Scots didn't start either half well. Duncan Weir booted the kickoff straight out on the full, and in the second half Scotland lost another of its throw-ins and was backed up to its 22.

In between, England cruised without feeling any pressure. Farrell missed a penalty out front when his planted left foot slipped, but Care kicked a 30-meter dropped goal with aplomb for the first points.

Scotland was penalized for interfering with Billy Twelvetrees, giving England an attacking lineout 10 meters out, and England rolled the maul with utter patience. Care squared off the ruck and Burrell timed his run into the gap expertly, and was tackled too late.

Farrell converted, then Laidlaw missed his second penalty attempt, hitting the post for a second straight match.

Farrell kicked another penalty in the 29th, and almost put the match away seconds before halftime, with a step off his left foot, dummy and clean break. Burrell came up his inside and was stopped by Scotland winger Sean Lamont in front of the left post.

England, up 13-0, changed into clean shirts at the break but they didn't stay white for long.

No. 8 Billy Vunipola rampaged up the middle, offloaded to Brown, and Jonny May received an overlap on the left wing. May was foiled, but Scotland center Alex Dunbar was sin-binned. It took seven minutes for England to make the man advantage count, and even then the long buildup looked to have broken down on the left wing. But winger Jack Nowell picked up the dropped ball, shimmied past several tackles and fed Brown to scoot in with a fist pump.

There was still a quarter to go, but England wasn't fussed. Scotland had nothing.

Ireland humble Wales 26-3 in 6 Nations 

Ireland has a sniff of its first Six Nations rugby title in five years after humbling defending champion Wales 26-3 at Lansdowne Road on Saturday.

Ireland scored the game's only two tries from superb rolling mauls while Jonathan Sexton kicked four penalties, his only miss from beyond halfway.

By contrast, Wales' only shot in anger was a second-half try disallowed, while Ireland's superior discipline gave Leigh Halfpenny only one penalty kick, nearly an hour in.

Wales, trying to become the first team to win the championship three successive times outright, promised to be direct and physical but was overwhelmed by a swarming defense and forced into multiple errors; 15 penalties and two free kicks, 16 missed tackles, 10 turnovers, two chargedowns.

Wales paid for it with a first away loss in the championship since 2011, when it also last failed to score a try.

Coach Warren Gatland, following Wales' biggest Six Nations defeat in his seven-year tenure, called it his lowest moment.

"We won't be thinking in terms of retaining the Six Nations, we'll be thinking about improving for our next game against France," he said.

Gatland was taken aback by Ireland's rugged defense, and his side conceding 17 penalties and free kicks.

"I can't remember any occasion when they moved the ball through the backline at us," he said. "They dominated us up front and caused us a lot of problems. We have a target of 10 (penalties) or loss, so to give 17 away was simply unacceptable."

After two successive wins for the first time since 2010, Ireland was in pole position for this year's title, though it must win at least one of its two away games, against England next in two weeks, or France in the tournament closer next month.

"I'm not going to think too far ahead," Ireland coach Joe Schmidt said. "But it's certainly a gathering of confidence for us."

He said replacement lock Dan Tuohy may have a broken forearm.

The 13-0 halftime score fairly reflected Ireland's control. By the time Sexton kicked them 6-0 ahead in the 17th minute, Wales had conceded five penalties to one. The scrums were a mess for both sides but the lineout was an Irish pressure point, thanks to O'Connell and Devin Toner.

Even in the collisions, the Welsh came off second best. Scott Williams cut down Irish opposite Brian O'Driscoll, who was winded for a bit, but it was Williams who soon walked off cradling his right shoulder.

With Wales putting out a dozen Lions to Ireland's nine, some big Welsh names were left in the shade: Gethin Jenkins and Adam Jones by Cian Healy and Mike Ross in the front row, Sam Warburton and Dan Lydiate by Chris Henry and Peter O'Mahony in the loose, and George North and Alex Cuthbert by Andrew Trimble and Dave Kearney on the wings. Sexton, Paul O'Connell, Toner were also Irish standouts.

Wales coming off second-best everywhere was no better encapsulated than about half an hour in.

Wales earned a lineout throw-in on the Irish 22, but Wales blew the lift and Toner didn't even have to jump to take the gift catch. Moments later, Wales turned over the ball near halfway and Sexton had the foresight to realize Halfpenny was up near the play, so he kicked down the line and No. 8 Jamie Heaslip forced Rhys Priestland to run the ball out. Given an attacking lineout five meters out, Toner took the catch, handed the ball to Henry, and the flanker was trailered in a fast rolling maul into the right corner for his first test try. Sexton converted from the touchline.

After Sexton made it 16-0 in the 46th, Irish fans began singing, their confidence rising.

When Halfpenny, on the occasion of him becoming the youngest Wales player to 50 caps at 25, finally kicked their first points, O'Mahony drew a second penalty for Ireland and Sexton delivered.

Wales' one try chance came after scrumhalf Mike Phillips tapped two consecutive penalties and replacement prop Rhodri Jones burrowed over but he was penalized for a double movement.

In the last minute, Ireland expressed its power again when it rolled a maul from a lineout 20 meters out, which sucked in so many Welshman that replacement flyhalf Paddy Jackson ran in untouched, until Liam Williams dropped an elbow on his face. Jackson still had the last say, with the conversion.