How the players from both England and Wales rated out of 10 after an enthralling Six Nations encounter at Twickenham Stadium
Saturday 26 February 2022 20:17, UK
We look at how the players from both the England and Wales teams rated out of 10 following an enthralling Six Nations encounter at Twickenham. Stadium...
Freddie Steward: Provided England with a solid foundation at the back, but needs to get more involved in attack. 6/10
Max Malins: The backline around him failed to gel as hoped for and he had little opportunity to show his class. 6
Elliot Daly: Came in as a late replacement for the injured Manu Tuilagi, but he has yet to shine as a Test outside centre. 6
Henry Slade: Kicked beautifully and also produced some eye-catching moments with the ball in hand. 7
Jack Nowell: Looked for work but has yet to have the impact of old since his comeback from injury. 6
Marcus Smith: Kicked his goals and did everything possible to inspire England's attack in a player of the match display. 8
Harry Randall: This was a harder afternoon than against Italy where he impressed so much, but the Bristol Bears scrum-half acquitted himself well. 7
Ellis Genge: England's best forward on the day. Apart from his carrying and defence, he never stopped fighting. 8
Luke Cowan-Dickie: Limped off early in clear pain and had been tidy up until that point. 6
Kyle Sinckler: A 50th cap occasion that was notable for two conspicuous errors that put England under pressure. 6
Charlie Ewels: The Bath lock's best performance for England and on this evidence he could develop into a regular starter. 7
Maro Itoje: Stopped Taulupe Faletau during a key stage of the second-half and was towering in defence. 7
Courtney Lawes: Tried with success to inspire England at a time when they were in danger of crumbling. 7
Tom Curry: Gave it everything until he went off injured and his work rate was missed. 7
Alex Dombrandt: Took his second-half try brilliantly and helped Genge and England in holding Wales off. 8
Replacements: England rose to the occasion when Wales hit back and the bench played their part. Ben Youngs came on to become England men's most capped player. 6
Liam Williams: Received a yellow card in the first half and struggled to make his presence felt as an attacking force. 6
Alex Cuthbert: Marked his 50th Wales cap with a strong display, carrying powerfully and making considerable ground. A superb performance. 9
Owen Watkin: Made an uncertain start, then required treatment for a head cut before re-joining the action. Solid, rather than spectacular. 6
Nick Tompkins: Mixed and matched his game impressively, kicking well, tackling hard and always looking for space. Quality display. 7
Josh Adams: Back in the starting line-up after injury, he scored his 18th Wales try and was key as his team fought back in the second half. 8
Dan Biggar: Kicked two conversions, and while he will be disappointed with Wales' first-half display, the second 40 minutes was far better. 7
Tomos Williams: Wales' attacking catalyst in the second period, he was at the heart of a ferocious comeback and created Adams' try with a brilliant pass. 7
Wyn Jones: Wales were made to work hard in the scrums and it remains a work-on area for the players and coaching staff. 6
Ryan Elias: Made a glaring error for England's opening try, throwing lineout ball straight to Dombrandt. Disappointing. 5
Tomas Francis: Had his work cut out opposite England loosehead Genge, but kept working away. 6
Will Rowlands: A tireless shift in defence and loose play, but Wales' lineout malfunctioned at times. 7
Adam Beard: Wales' vice-captain put in a strong shift alongside second-row partner Rowlands, yet he knows the lineout needs work. 6
Ross Moriarty: Gave away a couple of penalties, yet he was an aggressive presence for Wales in tight and loose exchanges. 7
Taine Basham: Went toe-to-toe with a powerful England back-row, and he continues to make rapid strides in the Test arena. 7
Taulupe Faletau: A remarkable performance in his first Wales appearance for 11 months and only his third game for club country since last summer. Ran hard and tackled hard. 8
Replacements: The Welsh replacements made a strong collective effort during a second-half revival, led by try-scorer Kieran Hardy. 7
