England player ratings vs Wales
After the highs of their win at Twickenham, England were brought back to earth with hard-fought 13-6 loss to Wales at the Principality Stadium.
George North’s try towards the end of the first half was the difference in the match, although Eddie Jones will be relatively pleased with the uptick in performance from his side after the interval.
We have rated all 23 of England’s players in Cardiff, as they went down to a resurgent Welsh side.
- Elliot Daly – 5.5
Tested in the air early by Wales, with the full-back grabbing one contested ball and coughing up another. Identified a nice mismatch on the counter-attack against Tomas Francis but wasn’t able to consistently hurt Wales as an attacking force. Brought reliable kicking relief from within the 22.
- Anthony Watson – 5.5
Pinged and yellow carded for a deliberate knock-on towards the end of the first half, which cost England as Wales went quickly and scored a try on Watson’s vacated wing. Dealt much better with the aerial contest in the second half and had a decent foray down the wing, supporting Jamie George’s break.
https://twitter.com/WelshRugbyUnion/status/1162730946816352256?s=20
- Jonathan Joseph – 6
The Bath centre couldn’t quite find the space in Wales’ defence that he did last week, although his line-speed helped restrict the home side’s attack.
- Piers Francis – 6.5
After impressing in defence at Twickenham, Francis looked livelier as a carrier in Cardiff, having some joy cutting back against the grain. Flashes of what he could offer in place of Ben Te’o’s physical presence.
- Joe Cokanasiga – 5
The wing struggled with some of the aerial balls that came his way, missing one that should have been his and spilling a contested ball in the first half. He was busy off his wing, stepping up as a first receiver a number of times, although didn’t enjoy the carrying success he did a week before.
- George Ford – 5.5
Not quite the control with the boot Ford would have liked, including a kick out on the full with a cross kick deep inside Wales’ territory. He was successful with both of his kicks at goal and made way for Manu Tuilagi at around the 60-minute mark.
- Willi Heinz – 6
The scrum-half showed good control early on with both the boot and tempo from the ruck. Passed more regularly from the ruck than he did a week before, although coughed up a turnover in Welsh territory before leaving the pitch for a HIA late in the first half.
- Ellis Genge – 5.5
Genge didn’t quite have the same scrum success he did a week previously and Wales starved England of possession in the first half, limiting his role as a ball-carrier. He was replaced by Joe Marler not long into the second half.
- Luke Cowan-Dickie – 6
Missed his first lineout but connected with the three following ones. He couldn’t quite have the attacking impact he would have wanted, but his efficiency and physicality in the tackle, with a low chopping technique, was influential for England.
- Dan Cole – 5.5
Strong scrum to start the game, although lost his bind repeatedly after that as the Welsh scrum came back into the game. Solid fringe defence.
- Joe Launchbury – 6
An industrious showing before being replaced by George Kruis. Helped England disrupt the Welsh maul and got through a lot of work close to the ruck.
- Maro Itoje – 6.5
The lock didn’t have the attacking influence he is capable of, although his defensive work was typically effective, not least so his second half intercept. Alongside Launchbury, he did a good job of disrupting Wales’ maul and he was physical and efficient in the tackle, even when chasing and hunting down Wales’ back three.
- Courtney Lawes – 6
Offered a reliable lineout target and profited repeatedly on the gain-line as a tackler. A frustrating spilled ball in the second half summed up the attacking influence he was able to have, though.
https://twitter.com/EnglandRugby/status/1162743382063685632?s=20
- Lewis Ludlam – 6.5
Missed an important clear-out early which handed possession back to Wales, before growing into the game, including ripping a ball in the contact. He got through plenty of work as part of England’s chop-heavy tackling approach and grabbed his second turnover with his work on the ground.
- Billy Vunipola – 7
Vunipola provided England with a relatively consistent source of gain-line success and was eager and precise with his offloads. Coughed up an unnecessary turnover running in high and being held up in a maul, although it was fairly isolated in another strong outing.
Replacements
- Jamie George – 7.5
The hooker offered real impact off the bench, successfully connecting with all six of his lineouts, sparking a big blindside break and carrying effectively in a busy showing.
- Joe Marler – 6
Helped swing the tight scrum contest in England’s favour after his arrival and was physical around the fringes.
- Kyle Sinckler – 6
Added to England’s pack’s playmaking ability with soft hands to shift the point of contact. Tackled manfully, although put boot to ball when a potential overlap was on.
- George Kruis – 6
Put himself about, although with England having already had three locks on the pitch, didn’t offer something different as they attempted to take momentum away from Wales.
- Jack Singleton – n/a
Came on too late to have an impact.
- Ben Youngs – 6
His support of George’s break nearly brought a try and he looked lively, trying to take a couple of tap penalties, only to be called back by the referee.
- Owen Farrell – 6
Won a late turnover and had an incisive run to put England in position to grab a try, although they couldn’t finish the move.
- Manu Tuilagi – 6
Had a couple of physical tackles, although there was little opportunity for him to influence the game in attack.
Watch: The Rugby Pod react to England’s Rugby World Cup squad
Comments on RugbyPass
first no arms shoulder or helmet tackle into his rib cage is going to be so very painful even to watch. go back to RU mate.
1 Go to commentsBulls by 5. Plus another 50.
3 Go to commentsJohan Goosen avatar. Cute. Surely someone at RP knows how to do a google image search?
3 Go to commentsCan’t these games play a little earlier? Asking for a friend.
3 Go to commentsIt’s impressive that we can see huge stadiums with attendance in the 40 000 to 50 000 region. It shows how popular this competition is becoming. What is even more impressive is the massive growth in broadcast viewership. The URC is one of the two best leagues in the World, the other being the Top14.
7 Go to commentsChristie is not Sottish, like the majority of the Scotland team.
2 Go to commentsHold the phone, decline over-rated. Is it a one game, dead cat bounce or the real thing? Has the Penney dropped? Stay tuned.
45 Go to commentsTotally deserved win for the Crusaders Far smarter than the Chiefs who seem to be avoiding the basics when it matters Hotham showed them what was missing and Hannah seems a real find - a tad light but that can be fixed over time
8 Go to commentsGreat insight into the performance culture with Sarries and I predict Christie will be a fixture in the Scotland team now for some time to come. However, he is slightly missing his own point around Scotland “being soft” when he cites physicality examples in defence of that slight. The issue is much closer to the example he referenced around feeling off before a game but being told “it doesn’t matter, you can still play well” by Farrell. Until Scotland can get their psyche in that square, they will carry on folding under extreme pressure…
2 Go to comments> We are having to adapt, evolve and innovate more than when we were in Super Rugby where there was only really one style that everybody had to play to gain the most success. Have = able to? Interesting what that one style might be? I thought SA sides still had bad tours now, or at least bad schedule, months away? Those extra few hours flights have to be a killer though, no surprise to see their sides doing so badly at the start of the season each year. I wouldn’t enjoy that unfairness as a supporter.
7 Go to commentsThe problem for NZ, and Aus, is they ripped up the SR model and lost a massive chunk of revenue that hasn’t been replaced. Don’t forget SA clubs went North because they were left with no choice, Argy unceremoniously binned and Japan cast adrift. Now SR wasn’t perfect, far from it, but they’ve jumped into something without an effective plan, so far, to replace what they’ve lost. The biggest revenue potential now lies in Japan but it won’t be easy or quick to unlock, they are incredibly insular in culture as a nation. In the meantime, there is a serious time bomb sitting under SH rugby and if it happens then the current financial challenges will look like a picnic. IF the Boks follow their provincial teams and head north then it’s revenue meltdown. Not guaranteed to happen but the status quo is a very odd hybrid, with the Boks pointing one way and the clubs pointing the other way. And for as long as that remains then the threat is real.
45 Go to commentsI think Etene has had some good tuition, likely while at the Warriors to be a professional that helped his rugby jump, but he was certainly thrown in the deep end way too early. Should have arguably 20 less SR caps, and therefor a way better record that he does at his age, but his development would have been fast tracked by the need to satiate his signing away from league. Again, credit to him and others that he has done it so well. Easy to fall over under that pressure in the big leagues like that but he kept at it when I myself wasn’t sure he was good enough.
1 Go to commentsAwesome story. I wonder what a bigger American (SA) scene might have mean for Brex.
1 Go to comments“Johnny McNicholl and the Crusaders” save a Penney. Who has been in camp this week and showed them how to play?
8 Go to commentsSo, reports of the Crusaders’ demise / terminal decline are perhaps just - slightly - premature/exaggerated…? 🤔 Will we see a deep-dive into that by the estimable Rugbypass scribes, and maybe one or two mea culpas? Thought not.
8 Go to comments1. The Chiefs are rudderless without DMac, which enhances his AB chances 2. Chiefs pack are powderpuffs. The hard men arent there anymore 3. They had their golden title chance last yr and wont threaten this yr. Gone in second round of playoffs.
8 Go to commentsHonestly, why did you have to publish such a foolish article the day they play us? 😂
45 Go to comments> They are not standalone entities. They are linked to an amateur association which holds the FFR licence that allows the professional side to compete in the league. That’s a great rule. This looks like the chicken or egg professional scenario. How long is it going to be before the club can break even (if that is even a thing in French rugby)? If the locals aren’t into well it would be good to se them drop to amateur level (is it that far?). Hope they can reset from this level and be more practical, there will be a time when they can rebuild (if France has there setup right).
1 Go to commentsWhat about changing the ball? To something heavier and more pointed that bounces unpredictably. Not this almost round football used these days.
35 Go to commentsThis is the problem with conservative mindsets and phycology, and homogenous sports, everybody wants to be the same, use the i-win template. Athlete wise everyone has to have muscles and work at the gym to make themselves more likely to hold on that one tackle. Do those players even wonder if they are now more likely to be tackled by that player as a result of there “work”? Really though, too many questions, Jake. Is it better Jake? Yes, because you still have that rugby of ole that you talk about. Is it at the highest International level anymore? No, but you go to your club or checkout your representative side and still engage with that ‘beautiful game’. Could you also have a bit of that at the top if coaches encouraged there team to play and incentivized players like Damian McKenzie and Ange Capuozzo? Of course we could. Sadly Rugby doesn’t, or didn’t, really know what direction to go when professionalism came. Things like the state of northern pitches didn’t help. Over the last two or three decades I feel like I’ve been fortunate to have all that Jake wants. There was International quality Super Rugby to adore, then the next level below I could watch club mates, pulling 9 to 5s, take on the countries best in representative rugby. Rugby played with flair and not too much riding on the consequences. It was beautiful. That largely still exists today, but with the world of rugby not quite getting things right, the picture is now being painted in NZ that that level of rugby is not required in the “pathway” to Super Rugby or All Black rugby. You might wonder if NZR is right and the pathway shouldn’t include the ‘amateur’, but let me tell you, even though the NPC might be made up of people still having to pull 9-5s, we know these people still have dreams to get out of that, and aren’t likely to give them. They will be lost. That will put a real strain on the concept of whether “visceral thrill, derring-do and joyful abandon” type rugby will remain under the professional level here in NZ. I think at some point that can be eroded as well. If only wanting the best athlete’s at the top level wasn’t enough to lose that, shutting off the next group, or level, or rugby players from easy access to express and showcase themselves certainly will. That all comes back around to the same question of professionalism in rugby and whether it got things right, and rugby is better now. Maybe the answer is turning into a “no”?
35 Go to comments