Freddie Steward, Jonny Hill and Courtney Lawes proved their worth as England passed their first serious test of the Autumn Nations Series
Saturday 13 November 2021 20:45, UK
England extended their winning run against Australia under Eddie Jones to eight matches but they had to dig deep for a 32-15 victory at Twickenham. Sky Sports Rugby rate the England players' performances...
Freddie Steward: 8/10
Only four caps into his international career but plays like a seasoned campaigner.
Manu Tuilagi: 7
Started on the wing where he was exposed by one high ball but frequently popped up in the centres.
Henry Slade: 7
Frequently popped up in the backfield and was influential in a scrappy win.
Owen Farrell: 7
Played some of his best rugby at inside centre until he limped off in obvious pain.
Jonny May: 6
Quiet afternoon for May, who had few opportunities to show what he can do.
Marcus Smith: 6
The fireworks seen against Tonga were missing apart from an early burst but this will be a key learning game for the rising star.
Ben Youngs: 7
Faced a battle against fellow veteran Nic White and acquitted himself well. Took a lot of pressure off Smith with some accurate kicking.
Bevan Rodd: 7
An emergency debut to solve England's loosehead crisis and can hold his head high.
Jamie George: 7
A real presence in the first half and his determination was obvious.
Kyle Sinckler: 7
Took an early bang but fought on and England were rewarded with a rugged shift.
Maro Itoje: 7
Fiftieth cap for the Lions giant, who rolled his sleeves up in a hard contest up-front.
Jonny Hill: 8
An opportunist line-out pinch almost saw him score as he set off on a rampaging run.
Courtney Lawes: 8
High work-rate and impact in defence were his calling cards in the back-row battle.
Sam Underhill: 7
Emerging as an increasingly effective carrier and was involved in many of England's better moments.
Tom Curry: 7
Struggling to have the same impact at number eight as he does at openside.
Replacements: 8
Alex Dombrandt made an eye-catching cameo off the bench and is pushing hard to start at number eight, while Jamie Blamire is a Test hooker through and through. Sam Simmonds also had an impact when he came on in the final five minutes.
