England U20 player ratings vs Wales | World Rugby U20 Championship

England U20 player ratings: England progressed to Saturday’s World Rugby U20 Championship fifth-place play-off by beating Wales 51-13 in Viadana on Monday.

Following the anguish of narrowly missing out on the Championship semi-finals due to Argentina’s four-try bonus point against France last Wednesday, England rallied well to put in a strong performance, although it was a slow start from the victors.

They wait to see who they will face on Saturday, but they will be confident after this display.

Here’s how the players rated:

15 Josh Bellamy – 8
Looked threatening carrying from deep, as he has all Championship, but perhaps did his best work when standing at first receiver or taking the ball in the midfield where he brought his team-mates into play with his handling and chips. With that said, he kept his width to score England’s fourth try, with his fly-half Ben Coen fizzing the ball out to him.

14 Jack Bracken – 8.5
Reclaimed the kick-off following Wales’ opening try and England were scoring a few phases later – a splendid take to leap up and pluck the ball out the air. One of those games where a lot of the space and action did not fall on his wing. But his ability to distribute the ball in contact helped break down a tiring Welsh defence as the match progressed and his influence grew. His finish in the corner after chasing a kick was of the highest order.

13 Nick Lilley – 7
Shot out the line unwisely as Wales broke for their first try – not an ideal situation to find yourself in, but could have probably trusted the defenders inside him. The only error in what was a solid display, which was crowned with a try in the closing minutes.

12 Will Knight – 6
Just one of many English carriers that were loose with the ball in the first half, having had the ball snatched from his clutches. Then again, many of his carries were straight into the heart of the Welsh defence. Had an early try chalked off for foul play elsewhere, but that served as a warning as to what he was capable off, picking a nice line.

11 Campbell Ridl – 8
Skinned his opposite man Elijah Evans early in the match in an early statement, and did the same later in the half, fending the winger off first. Didn’t stay stuck on the wing though, and popped up in all areas of the field, shown when he broke from the back of a lineout to put Archie McParland in for England’s third try. Scored England’s second try, taking Ben Coen’s high pass well. Left the field after an hour after torturing the Welsh defence.

10 Ben Coen – 8
Put Ridl through a surprisingly large gap to finish the first half with a try, which was just one example of the Exeter fly-half identifying space. The quality of his pass was sometimes lacking, put that was often due to the speed he was trying to shift the ball, and the width he was putting on it. After a couple of misses in the first half, his goal-kicking was pinpoint accurate in the second stanza.

9 Archie McParland – 8.5
Scored to put England in the lead at half time, supporting a break made by Ridl, and had an eye for a support line throughout the contest, bagging another following a Noah Caluori break. Also posed a problem to the Welsh defence from the ruck and the back of the scrum, particularly with one weaving run which ended with his own cross-field kick. A superb 65 minutes.

1 Ralph McEachran – 6
Not a lot to write home about with his carrying, but put some monstrous tackles in and competed hard at rucks. Solid in the scrum and wasn’t overpowered, but could neither dominate.

2 Kepu Tuipulotu – 7.5
Oppressive and brutal in his defence, flying out the line on plenty of occasions to meet Welsh carries behind the gain line. Always looked dangerous from the back of the maul as well, and may feel aggrieved that he was not awarded the opening try of the match, which was a penalty try. His uncharacteristically wayward lineout throwing did let down his 55-minute performance, though.

3 Ollie Streeter – 2
Making his first start of the Championship, the Quins tighthead was penalised twice in the scrum in the opening 15 minutes, which gave Wales their early points, before being red carded for a dangerous clearout.

4 Olamide Sodeke – 7
Led his side for tackles when he left the field after an hour, exerting particular pressure on Welsh fly-half Harri Wilde. Pressurised the Welsh lineout, stealing one five metres from the Welsh line.

5 Tom Burrow – 8
A huge presence as England’s maul starting gain superiority as the match progressed and did a lot of unseen work, hitting rucks and getting through his share of tackles in sweltering heat.

6 Seb Kelly – 7.5
Made an early statement at the breakdown in his first start of the tournament, winning a penalty deep in Wales’ half, but was penalised soon after for going off his feet, allowing Wales to extend their lead to 6-0. Competed hard in that area in the entire match. Subbed off for 20 minutes during the red card.

7 Sam Williams – 7
Always a carrying threat and a handful for Welsh tacklers, but his influence and effectiveness did begin to wane before being substituted after 55 minutes.

8 Connor Treacey – 6
A reliable ball carrier with a low error count, which was important in a match where possession went back and forth. Lacked any standout moments in the match, though.

Points Flow Chart

England U20 win +38

Time in lead

43

Mins in lead

31

53%

% Of Game In Lead

38%

67%

Possession Last 10 min

33%

10

Points Last 10 min

0

Replacements
16 Louie Gulley – 7
England’s lineout had not been functioning all that well before his introduction, but he ensured there was much more security in that department.

17 Ollie Scola – 6
Couldn’t make an impact on the game after coming on, though the game was already won.

18 Billy Sela – 7
The Bath man found himself thrown into the action earlier than expected following Streeter’s red card and provided some real impetus up front with his carries. Also helped shore up England’s scrum, which was creaking before he came on.

19 Aiden Ainsworth-Cave – 6
A quiet 20 minutes on the field.

20 Kane James – 8
The Exeter Chief seemed to be at the heart of the action in his 35 minutes on the field, making some strong carries.

21 Jonny Weimann – 6.5
Came on for the final 15 minutes with England very much in control of the match and helped maintain that dominance.

22 Nic Allison – 7
His relationship with Exeter club-mate Coen seemed to have England’s backline running much more smoothly in the final half hour of the match.

23 Noah Caluori – 7.5
Immediately into the action after coming on after an hour, reclaiming a chip and putting McParland in for a try. Looked a menace with his carries.