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Scottish Rugby 'appalled' by Eddie Jones abuse as footage emerges of incident

Eddie Jones was physically and verbally abused as he travelled to Manchester from Edinburgh. David Rogers/Getty Images

The Scottish Rugby Union has condemned the treatment of Eddie Jones by fans in the wake of the Calcutta Cup after footage emerged of the England coach being abused as he travelled to Manchester last Sunday.

Jones revealed on Wednesday that his train journey from Edinburgh to Manchester -- which he made alone in standard class -- was marred by physical and verbal abuse from fans.

"For me to travel on public transport, I thought was OK," he said. "But I'll make sure I won't in future. It's as simple as that."

On Thursday morning the BBC released footage that appears to show a group of drunk Scottish fans abusing Jones after he stopped for a selfie.

In a statement published on its Twitter feed on Thursday morning, the SRU condemned the "disgusting behaviour" of those involved and praised the dignity that the England coach displayed.

"Scottish Rugby is appalled by the verbal abuse suffered by Eddie Jones," the statement read. "The disgusting behaviour of those involved does not represent the values of our sport or its fans.

"The dignity Eddie and the England team showed on Saturday is in stark contrast to this ugly incident."

Jones was making his way to Old Trafford, where he watched Manchester United's Premier League win as a guest of Sir Alex Ferguson. He suffered a further incident of abuse as he made his way home from the game, again on public transport.

"I try and do the right thing by the fans but if that happens then you've got to have a look at your own safety," Jones added on Wednesday. "It wasn't comfortable."