Northern Edition

Select Edition

Northern Northern
Southern Southern
Global Global
New Zealand New Zealand
France France

England player ratings vs France - Six Nations

Maro Itoje and Ellis Genge /Getty Images

England player ratings: Le Crunch found two teams on the opposite side of the Guinness Six Nations momentum charts. England played the party poopers in what was easily the most impressive game of their campaign to date.

ADVERTISEMENT

ENGLAND PLAYER RATINGS:
15. MAX MALINS – 6.5
Antoine Dupont’s early try was the worst possible start for Malins and a desperately wonky pass to Watson a few minutes later won’t have helped his confidence, but he booted his way into the game. Was left in no man’s land for Penaud try thanks to May but a promising performance.

14. ANTHONY WATSON – 8
Looked fast, strong and eager for work. Broke tackles left, right and centre and has given his Lions chances a huge shot in the arm. A 50th cap to remember for the Bath strike runner.

Video Spacer

Richie McCaw continues to push his body to the limit post rugby career | GODZone Race

Video Spacer

Richie McCaw continues to push his body to the limit post rugby career | GODZone Race

13. HENRY SLADE – 6
A mixed bag for Slade, with question marks still lingering around his defense while on England duty. The Exeter centre fell off roughly 50 per cent of all his tackle attempts, a stat that doesn’t do justice to the numerous big defensive plays he was involved in but is unflattering nonetheless.

12. OWEN FARRELL – 7.5
Harried the French with a vigour not seen yet in this tournament. Having Ford inside him allowed him more freedom to press in defense and get in French faces. His critics will hate it but this was an impressive showing.

11. JONNY MAY – 5
Needlessly bit in for Penaud’s try when Farrell had Jailbert covered. The ‘head-less chicken’ broken field running that often works so well for May didn’t quite come off here.

10. GEORGE FORD – 7
England wanted to play with pace and Ford helped bring a manic pace to proceedings, in the first half especially.

ADVERTISEMENT

9. BEN YOUNGS – 7
The centurion looked very sharp and was as compelling a force in England’s attack as any man in white.

1. MAKO VUNIPOLA – 5
Had his hands full with Montpellier tighthead Mohamed Haouas, with the pair trading penalties, although referee Andrew Brace started to favour the Englishman before Hauous got the shepherd’s crook.  Uncharacteristically turned over on more than one occasion.  A game to forget.

2. LUKE COWAN-DICKIE – 6
A rare start for LCD, the Exeter Chief will have been eager to put in a big performance off the back fine Premiership form.  Threw a dodgy dart or two and conceded a couple of penalties, but carried competently when asked. Not great, not terrible.

3. KYLE SINCKLER – 7
The Bristol man got into France as the game wore on. Relatively well contained in the loose by the French, who remorselessly targetted England’s primary carriers.

ADVERTISEMENT

4. MARO ITOJE – 8
Headlines around his discipline didn’t cost Itoje a thought – the second row was his usual, ebullient self and his match-winning try topped off a fine 80 minutes.  Don’t care who you are, he’s a nightmare to play against.

England player ratings
Maro Itoje /PA

5. CHARLIE EWELS – 6
He has his detractors and this performance won’t necessarily have quietened them.  Did his job, but none of your fancy stuff.

6. MARK WILSON – 7
Like a grizzled old Cumbrian bouncer on a Saturday night, Wilson has the look of man who has seen it all before. The tonne of unglamourous work the Newcastle man gets through is lost on many, and this was a particular tireless shift.

7. TOM CURRY – 8
All guile and industry from the Sale Shark, who England are now heavily relying on for forward-based go-forward ball. England’s brightest loosie this campaign.

8. BILLY VUNIPOLA – 6.5
An improvement, but he’s still not quite right yet and it can’t all be put down to rustiness. Yes, he carried plenty of times, but he just isn’t quite winning the collisions with the same frequency we had come to expect from the hulking Saracen.

ADVERTISEMENT

LIVE

{{item.title}}

Trending on RugbyPass

Comments

0 Comments
Be the first to comment...

Join free and tell us what you really think!

Sign up for free
ADVERTISEMENT

Latest Features

Comments on RugbyPass

H
Hellhound 25 minutes ago
Forget Ireland, the All Blacks face the real alpha of Europe next

Actually you need to read my responses properly. The response on which you responded is actually aimed at CO, another responder. Go read my original response on Ben Smith's BS. He is a bloody joke, a wannabe. And so is any of that losers followers. If you talk crap all the time it try to clickbait like BS, then don't expect people to respect him.


Most people (not you of course) will never take him serious. We all see him exactly for who and what he is. Talking about victories for the French in 2017 and 2021. Most of those players isn't in the AB's team. In the game in the WC the AB's was fresh off a hiding from the Boks with their confidence so easy targets. Unsettled team with a coach that already lost his job. As if that is such a motivation, most players knowing under Robinson they will be dropped for his Crusaders players.


Not exactly the environment in which to claim WC honours. Yet, despite all that turmoil, that AB team that got thrashed by the Boks and lost to France, came back and made the WC Final. None of these things get mentioned. Oh no, that doesn't suit his narrative doesn't it? He needs to clickbait the SH teams as usual.


I'm not a violent man, not always, but that's a pathetic little worm I would break every bone in his body, and each sound of breaking bone would give me as much pleasure as a win for the Boks. I would record the sound of his breaking bones and use it as a new ringtone. That is how much respect I have for idiot clickbaiters like him.


Instead of proper articles like the rest out there, all he mostly dish up is tripe. He should change his name to Tripe Smith. That is a much better description of the weasel. Is that dissing enough for you? Next time, actually read to who my responses are aimed at and read their responses as to what elicited that type of response from me.


I don't usually strip myself for any response by you. I actually agree with most everything you usually say and I'm sure you would be a much better writer than BS, however, make sure you read to who and why the responses there is from various people before commenting. As for Lomu, he is one of the greats, despite not getting a WC trophy. I only had the highest regard for that man. What a player and what a human being he was.

79 Go to comments
LONG READ
LONG READ Wales 'in one of their deepest holes for a long time' Wales 'in one of their deepest holes for a long time'
Search