Northern Edition

Select Edition

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

England player ratings vs Scotland

Mako Vunipola provides England with some much-needed ball-carrying against Scotland at Murrayfield. (Photo by David Rogers/Getty Images)

England head coach Eddie Jones rang the changes following his side’s demoralising loss to France in their tournament opener and it paid off as they emerged 13-6 winners at Murrayfield against Scotland.

ADVERTISEMENT

It was certainly a match for the purists, as driving rain and blustery gales forced both teams into an attritional battle of set-pieces and kicking games, with opportunities for ball-carriers to impress few and far between.

Check out our player ratings for all 23 of the England players below.

  1. George Furbank6

The inexperienced full-back dealt well with the high balls that came his way and he chased well on a number of kicks from Owen Farrell and George Ford, where his first up tackling was accurate and efficient.

Continue reading below…

Watch: Jim Hamilton breaks down Wales or Ireland for the Six Nations championship

Video Spacer

  1. Jonny May7

After spilling the ball whilst under pressure on the opening kick-off, May went well in testing conditions. He was a safe pair of hands in the aerial game, chased effectively on many of England’s numerous kicks and even popped up in the midfield as an attacking option.

  1. Jonathan Joseph6

In a game that was dominated by kicking at nine, 10 and 12, Joseph’s contribution was minimal, other than in the energy of his chase and the solid tackling and decision-making he made in defence.

  1. Owen Farrell8

Farrell’s return of three success on six kicks might not seem exemplary, although it was a testament to the conditions on show at Murrayfield. His kicking from hand was excellent and repeatedly put England in a strong position to defend and force errors out of Scotland, which was another area where the centre impressed after his poorer showing in Paris.

https://twitter.com/RugbyPass/status/1226187601784320001?s=20

  1. Elliot Daly5

The wing’s opportunities were few and far between in a kick-heavy performance in Edinburgh, although kicking out on the full in the second half didn’t help his team. He chased kicks with energy and endeavour, although he wasn’t able to win back any kicks.

  1. George Ford4

Ford struggled to read the wind with his kicking game, including a snapped drop goal that drifted wide of the posts. He also knocked-on with a high ball and put his team into trouble with a wayward pass in the tackle inside his own 22.

  1. Willie Heinz6

A solid showing from Heinz, whose box-kicking was more contestable for his chasers than Ben Youngs’ had been in France. There was also a good tempo to his ability to deliver ball and he profited with a couple of incisive snipes. Lost his kicking radar a little in the second half, though.

https://twitter.com/RugbyPass/status/1226204052716957697?s=20

  1. Mako Vunipola7

It was generally a positive return to the starting XV for Vunipola, whose strong ball carrying and work disrupting the maul were valuable additions for England. He wasn’t able to go after the Scottish scrum in the same way Joe Marler went after the French set-piece, but he held his own.

  1. Jamie George7

George connected on eight of his 10 lineouts at a blustery and unforgiving Murrayfield, which was an excellent return, given the conditions. His set-piece work laid a strong foundation for England and he was busy in the loose, particularly in defence.

  1. Kyle Sinckler7

The tighthead held up well at the scrum for the second week in a row and there seemed to be more dynamism to his ball-carrying and work clearing out than there had been in France.

ADVERTISEMENT

https://twitter.com/RugbyPass/status/1226177121766322177?s=20

  1. Maro Itoje8

Itoje forced two turnovers with the power of his tackling, stole Scottish lineouts and was a thorn in Scotland’s side at the contact area. He had a couple of forceful carries, too, and was particularly influential winning the collisions close to the ruck.

  1. George Kruis6

The impact of the lock at the lineout, both in attack and defence, was felt in Edinburgh. His physicality close to the ruck on both sides of the ball was also noticeable.

  1. Lewis Ludlam6

Ludlam didn’t provide the carrying that was expected of him, although that was due to how the game played out, with both teams eager to kick and defend rather than take possession. He made some solid tackles and was hard to move over the ball.

https://twitter.com/RugbyPass/status/1226142156177453063?s=20

  1. Sam Underhill8

One of, if not England’s standout performer at Murrayfield. His tackling was incredibly physical and accurate, he cleaned up loose balls on the floor and exerted his influence at the breakdown and the maul.

  1. Tom Curry7

Curry was physics with his play against Scotland and was much more adept winning the collisions than he had been a week previously in Paris. He also showed better control of the ball at the base of the scrum, too.

Replacements

  1. Tom Dunnn/a

Unusued replacement.

  1. Ellis Genge7

Genge added to England’s scrum advantage after arriving from the bench and scored the pivotal try in the 69th minute that proved pivotal to England winning the game.

https://twitter.com/RugbyPass/status/1226129818229596160?s=20

  1. Will Stuartn/a

Unused replacement.

  1. Joe Launchburyn/a

Came on too late to have a real impact on the game.

  1. Courtney Lawes6

The lock’s power was felt after he replaced Ludlam, with his tackling denying Scotland the attacking consistency they needed to punish England.

  1. Ben Earl6

Earl came on and made a couple of physical tackles, although his opportunities were limited on what will still be a memorable debut for the back rower.

  1. Ben Youngs6

The scrum-half looked a little snappier than the laboured display in Paris and with Heinz’s kicking beginning to go awry in the second half, Youngs’ arrival was timely and important.

  1. Ollie Devoton/a

Unused replacement.

ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT

Tackling reasons for drop-out in sport | Zainab Alema | Rugby Rising Locker Room

Krakow | Leg 3 | Day 2 | HSBC Challenger Series | Full Day Replay

Kubota Spears vs Tokyo Sungoliath | Japan Rugby League One 2024/25 | Full Match Replay

Jet Lag: The biggest challenge facing international sports? | The Report

Boks Office | Episode 39 | The Investec Champions Cup is back

Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry? | New Zealand & Australia | Sevens Wonders | Episode 5

Kobelco Kobe Steelers vs Toshiba Brave Lupus Tokyo | Japan Rugby League One 2024/25 | Full Match Replay

The Rise of Kenya | The Report

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

S
SK 17 minutes ago
South African rugby's top heavy house of cards

I think everyone knows that the SA teams are prioritising the URC which is why they have been so bad in Europe. The champions cup group stage fixtures couldnt come at a worse time for SA franchises. They come hot on the heels of the Autumn internationals and in December and Jan when its coldest in Europe and as hot as it gets in SA. During this period SA franchises have to leap from Africa to Europe one week after the next. SA franchises sometimes have to hop from Europe back to Africa and then back to Europe in 3 to 4 weeks. Mandatory Springbok rest periods are opted into by franchises to keep the players fit as the Springbok players cannot play year-round and injuries take their toll. Fatigue also sets in for players who have played non-stop since March as there is no global calendar. They don’t get a chance to regroup again until the six nations. SA teams prioritise what’s in front of them. The Springboks are top heavy and SA franchises are in Transition between the new and older generation. There are lots of youngsters coming through but they need more time at the top level. Coaching is also in transition in SA Rugby with many coaches at a young age. The age group levels SA has underperformed but the talent is there. Its coming through at franchise level and these players are getting great experience playing in a variety of comps. I would hardly call it a house of cards though. Succession planning has already become a reality. At Prop the Springboks are already replacing the seniors, at Scrum Half the Springboks are building depth and at 10 they have loads of options now and at 4 and 5 the Boks have used a host of players in recent years. Rassie has a plan for 2027 and the best coaching staff at international level. He has some difficult questions in front of him when it comes to the squad but is finding answers at the moment. Yes its possible Springbok performances could dip this year and perhaps in 2026 however I would not bet against them continuing to dominate while in transition. There were similar doubts cast about them last year and they proved the doubters wrong.

1 Go to comments
LONG READ
LONG READ 'Waltzing O'Driscoll, the Sea of Red and the Plank': Remembering the 2001 British and Irish Lions odyssey 'Waltzing O'Driscoll, the Sea of Red and the Plank': Remembering the 2001 British and Irish Lions odyssey
Search