England Player Ratings - vs Scotland
Their title hopes may have been derailed by Wales emphatically securing the Grand Slam earlier in the day, but that didn’t prevent England from turning in an impressive first half at Twickenham, racing into a 31-7 lead at the interval.
England imploded in the second half, however, coughing up six unanswered tries and only just managing to salvage a 38-38 draw with a George Ford try right at the death.
We have rated all 23 of England’s players from a bonkers 80 minutes at Twickenham.
- Elliot Daly – 8
The full-back was in fine form, constantly influencing the game in attack. He came into the back line as a second receiver and always had his head up on the counter-attack, repeatedly finding space in the Scottish defence. His positioning and work under the high ball was very solid, too.
- Jack Nowell – 7
Nowell’s work rate reaffirmed Jones’ faith in him, as he not only managed to make ground on the wing, but also went looking for the ball in the midfield. He kept his depth well for his first half try, supported industriously and was reliable in defence, efficiently making low tackles on bigger carriers.
- Henry Slade – 7
A creative masterclass early from the centre, who looked as if he was in a training game at times on Saturday evening. He drew men for Nowell’s early try and showed his comfort as a ball-handler with his back-of-the-hand offload for Jonny May’s try. He was effective early in defence, keeping his width and preventing Scotland from turning the corner, although it was notably exposed by Darcy Graham’s second score and big gaps began to form in England’s midfield.
- Manu Tuilagi – 6
Tuilagi’s out-to-in lines wrought havoc in the Scottish defence in the first half and repeatedly created space for his teammates further out. He operated a little wider in the second half and had more success as a carrier, but the momentum swing in Scotland’s favour meant that his solo tackles were the more influential part of his game after the interval.
- Jonny May – 7
A typically hard-working performance from May, who chased and competed in the air to good effect throughout the game. His support-running was rewarded with a first half try, although his missed tackle on Stuart McInally’s charge-down try will put a slight stain on an otherwise impressive showing.
- Owen Farrell – 4
It wasn’t the best performance from Farrell, who had his kick charged down for McInally’s try and his pass was intercepted for Finn Russell’s score. He had some nice handling moments in the first half and made all five of his kicks at goal, but it was not his usual confident and composed attacking display.
- Ben Youngs – 6
A couple of Youngs’ box-kicks had a little too much on them and gave his chasers an unenviable task, but it was not a game – until late – that was going to be decided in that facet. The tempo and accuracy of distribution that Youngs brought at the ruck was key to England getting their big carriers in the pack running onto the ball and breaking the Scottish defensive line in the first half.
- Ben Moon – n/a
The loosehead unfortunately had to leave the field after just four minutes with what appeared to be a rib injury.
- Jamie George – 8
George was one of the few England players to maintain his stellar first half form and carry it into the second. He was up quick in fringe defence, tackling low and efficiently, and carried as well as he has in this year’s tournament. His work at the lineout was also exemplary, with the hooker connecting on all 11 of his throws.
- Kyle Sinckler – 7
The interplay between Sinckler and his fellow forwards was impressive and it was his handling that helped set up Nowell’s early try. He chipped in with a solid platform at the scrum, multiple dominant tackles in the defensive line and even nabbed a lineout steal in a standard of performance that is becoming the new normal for the prop. He was missed badly after being replaced at 50 minutes.
- Joe Launchbury – 5
Led the way at the lineout with six takes and managed to disrupt one of McInally’s throws. He put himself about in the defensive line in England’s second half stands, too, but struggled to positively impact the game beyond the set-piece.
- George Kruis – 6
Kruis put good pressure on the scrum-half around the fringes, carried well and showed impressive line-speed to hunt down the first receiver multiple times. He split the lineout targets with Launchbury and was a reliable option.
- Mark Wilson – 5
The flanker contributed to the swift ruck speed that England enjoyed and was efficient and powerful as a tackler. With England so rampant in the first half, however, it was a day for his more potent offensive teammates to shine at Twickenham, before being replaced by Brad Shields in his side’s second half meltdown.
- Tom Curry – 7
Curry’s rise continued on Saturday as he tormented Scotland in attack and defence. He ran good lines and carried with incision, won turnovers and penalties at the contact area and topped up those two areas with offloads to keep phases alive and dominant tackles that dislodged Scottish possession. He faded out of the game in the second half, however.
- Billy Vunipola – 6
The number stepped up once again as England’s primary carrier in the back row, both as a source of front-foot ball and as a passer in the back line. In his brother’s absence, he continued to pick up plenty of the slack on the gain-line in attack and defence. He also provided a fifth option to field kicks, alongside the back three and Farrell. A few spills in contact and taking passes blotted the copybook.
Replacements
Cowan-Dickie connected with the pivotal lineout at the end of the game that allowed England to tie the game.
- Ellis Genge – 6
After an early introduction, Genge scrummaged well against the experienced WP Nel. He carried to good effect and linked up well with fellow front rower Sinckler. The Leicester man also chased and tackled well when England went to the boot. Lapses in ball-security blighted an otherwise encouraging performance.
- Dan Cole – 6
Cole’s arrival coincided with England’s meltdown in the second half and the prop was more involved in damage limitation than proactively affecting the game. Scotland managed to get the nudge on in the scrum, too.
- Brad Shields – 5
He came on for Wilson with time to influence the game but couldn’t offer anything extra, with momentum completely in Scotland’s favour.
- Nathan Hughes – 6
Took a risk with a loopy offload after the clock had gone red, but it worked out well for England, who were able to cross the whitewash shortly after.
- Ben Spencer – 6
Good tempo and awareness of space after coming on late.
- George Ford – 7
Ford scooted over for the try and made the conversion that tied the game for England, although his arrival was so late as to minimise the effect he could have had on the game.
- Ben Te’o – 6
A notable carry and pass that built towards Ford’s try and saved England’s blushes.
Watch: Eddie Jones gives his reasons for leaving out Joe Cokanasiga
Comments on RugbyPass
Musk defends anonymous terrorism, fascism, threats against individuals and children etc etc But a Rugby club account….lock ‘em up!!!
1 Go to commentsActually the era defining moment came a few years earlier. February 2002 to be precise, when Michael D Higgins as finance minister at the time introduced his sports persons tax relief bill to the dial. As the politicians of the day stated “It seems to be another daft K Club frolic born in Kildare amongst the well-paid professional jockeys with whom the Minister plays golf” and that the scheme represented “a savage uncaring vision of Ireland and one that should be condemned”. The irfu and Leinster would be nowhere near the position they are in today without this key component of the finances.
2 Go to commentsIt is crystal clear that people who make such threats on line should be tried and imprisoned. Those with responsibility in social media companies who don’t facilitate this should be convicted. In real life, I have free speech to approach someone like Reinach and verbally threaten him. I am risking a conviction or a slap but I could do it. In the old days, If someone anonymously threatened someone by letter the police would ask and use evidence from the postal system. Unlike the Post, social media companies have complete instant and legal access to the content in social media. They make money from the data, billions. Yet, they turn a blind eye to terrorism, Nazi-ism and industrial levels of threats against individuals including their address and childrens schools being published online all from ananoymous accounts not real speech. They claim free speech. The fault is with the perps but also social media companies who think anonymous personas posting death threats constitutes free speech.
2 Go to commentsSo if this ain’t the best Irish team ever then who exactly is? I don’t remember any other Irish team being this good & winning a series in the Land of the Long White Cloud. Yes I may rip them often for 8 X QF RWC exits & twice not even making it to the QF, but they’re a damn good team who many think can only improve, including me!
67 Go to commentsNot a squeek out of Leinster for weeks about this match. So quiet. The first team have been quitely building for this encounter under Nienaber’s direction. All fresh, all highly motivated. They are expecting a season’s best performance from Northhampton. They will match that. They will be fresher and apparently they will have 80,000 out of the 83,000 shouting for them. I do expect Northhampton to turn up big time. Not to be missed. On a tangent it is evident how the loss of a few Premiership teams has in some respect helped other Premiership teams and England. More quality over less teams makes the teams better, which has a knock on effect on England. Not the only factor contributing to England’s rise but one of them.
2 Go to commentsOur very own monster teddy bear Ox😍💪
17 Go to commentsThis is might be the most generalised, entitled, patronising, out-of-pocket cultural indictment on a group of people you’ll ever see on what is supposedly a sports publication. I can only assume the author is weak like a woman or homosexual. I’m feeling an incredible range of emotions but I am not quite sure how to express them. I might go beat up a hockey player - assuming that’s okay with Duane and the boys? 🙂
9 Go to commentsBest thing the Welsh clubs could do is apply to join Gallagher prem surely be more exciting matches for there support than they have now.
2 Go to commentsRugbyPass writers are useless! you guys should get a real job because you all suck at writing about rugby!!!
9 Go to commentslooking forward to RWC2027 …. Boks on mission impossible for the Three-in-a-row, ABs to prove they being on par, France wishing to crown the “DuPont-era”, Ireland knocking on the Semi-Door ….. until then we’ll probably have to deal with Weird Ben’s fantasy-RWC23 (fun fact is, the drivel always creates a flooding of comments) …..
221 Go to commentsBen Smith you really make some good points in this article, the Springboks were not close to perfect and good still beat the All Blacks, imagine if they were as good as they were against France what a hiding the All Blacks would have gotten… maybe another Twickenham drubbing
221 Go to commentsIt is a good argument to keep the Rebels for one more year but also isnt this just opening the door as well for keeping them beyond 2025. If they can create some sort of financial stability in the next year and if their performances lift as they have this season then how would RA even cull them after that? It might be the most cost effective decision at this stage and perhaps many people are guilty of keeping relationships going because of the cost to decouple but then again when does that ever work out well?
27 Go to commentsDear Ben Smith you are a genius! God please become the next all blacks coach that can take on the mighty BOKS. Your rugby acumen is second to none - imagine your dads sperm bounced as unfortunately as that oval ball did….we would not be blessed with your presence. Just as the all blacks were missing a man you too are missing a chromosome for 80% of your life, so your insights are not only profound but ring true from your own experiences. Just as the TMO interfered with citing an illegal pass I am sure your local authorities interfere with your illegal passes you make on women - How dare they!!! God forbid that rugby be officiated fairly. You are the right man for the job. Next all blacks coach is here ladies and gentlemen Miss Ben Smith (He/She/They/IT)
221 Go to commentsHuge engine this guy and great to see him back ..The amount of clean outs he does at the ruck are ridiculous !!
3 Go to commentsThe level of desperation in this article is just embarrassing.
221 Go to commentsSome silly trolling in the comments.
9 Go to commentsEverywhere you turn some irish journo is advocating Ireland as the greatest, reasoning that the wc is a 4 year cycle event so, they say wc doesn’t matter it’s the rugby in between that should account for the accolade. If there was no wc then some substance could be gained, however in my opinion the moment that defined Ireland’s fate against the abs was 37 phases of repeated head bashing against a brick wall. If a change in strategy or a tinker with the game plan was executed then things could've been vastly different. And to point a finger the let down was in the hands of the number 10.
67 Go to commentsI have heard it asked if RA is essentially one of the part owners and I suppose therefor should be on the other side of these two parties. If they purchased the rebels and guaranteed them, and are responsible enough they incur Rebels penalties, where is this line drawn? Seems rough to have to pay a penalty for something were your involvement sees you on the side of the conned party, the creditors. If the Rebels directors themselves have given the club their money, 6mil worth right, why aren’t they also listed as sitting with RA and the Tax office? And the legal threat was either way, new Rebels or defunct, I can’t see how RA assume the threat was less likely enough to warrant comment about it in this article. Surely RA ignore that and only worry about whether they can defend it or not, which they have reported as being comfortable with. So in effect wouldn’t it be more accurate to say there is no further legal threat (or worry) in denying the deal. Unless the directors have reneged on that. > Returns of a Japanese team or even Argentinean side, the Jaguares, were said to be on the cards, as were the ideas of standing up brand new teams in Hawaii or even Los Angeles – crazy ideas that seemingly forgot the time zone issues often cited as a turn-off for viewers when the competition contained teams from South Africa. Those timezones are great for SR and are what will probably be needed to unlock its future (cant see it remaining without _atleast _help from Aus), day games here are night games on the West Coast of america, were potential viewers triple, win win. With one of the best and easiest ways to unlock that being to play games or a host a team there. Less good the further across Aus you get though. Jaguares wouldn’t be the same Jaguares, but I still would think it’s better having them than keeping the Rebels. The other options aren’t really realistic 25’ options, no. From reading this authors last article I think if the new board can get the investment they seem to be confident in, you keeping them simply for the amount of money they’ll be investing in the game. Then ditch them later if they’re not good enough without such a high budget. Use them to get Jaguares reintergration stronger, with more key players on board, and have success drive success.
27 Go to commentsYeah, and ours is waaay bigger than yours. Just as you's get a semi…oh hold on that never happens
67 Go to commentsLove watching
1 Go to comments