England Player Ratings v Scotland
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England Player Ratings v Scotland
Scotland made a winning start to the Guinness Six Nations as Finn Russell's late penalty secured a narrow 20-17 victory over England at Murrayfield.
Here is how we rated Eddie Jones' men.
15. Freddie Steward - 6.5
Managed to defuse multiple bombs from the Scotland attack. One out of character dropped ball and sliced a kick. Outside of that he was solid and offered a strong option on attack.
14. Max Malins - 6.5
Like Steward, Malins was safe under the high ball and had some bright moments on attack. Not given enough opportunities with ball in hand though.
13. Elliot Daly - 6
Worked hard defensively and stab some neat kicks in behind the solid Scottish defence. Not given much time on attack.
12. Henry Slade - 7
Shifted into the inside centre role seamlessly and took the ball into contact well when asked to do so. He kicked well off both feet but probably could have shifted the ball on more often.
11. Joe Marchant - 5
Saw like most of the outside backs Marchant saw little ball, even less than his fellow back three teammates. He had a few issues under the high ball but otherwise solid enough.
10. Marcus Smith - 8
Put England in a position to win the game before being substituted for the more experienced George Ford. His try did come after a few mishaps which included a missed penalty and a missed kick to touch.
9. Ben Youngs - 6
His kicks weren't quite as accurate as they have been in past but his passes where accurate and he had a nice snipe that put England in a prime position to score.
1. Ellis Genge - 6.5
A mixed bag for Genge as he solidified the scrum and produced in the loose but penalties were his Achilles heel, one of which handing Scotland the lead.
2. Luke Cowan-Dickie - 3
His decision to palm the ball away can be put down to the heat of the moment but it cost England the game. A grubber in the Scotland 22 was also mind-blowing. Those two moments overshadow the rest of his performance.
3. Kyle Sinckler - 6
Sinckler wasn't troubled at scrum time, although there weren't too many for him during the game. Some classy touches with ball in hand and lent his weight on defence.
4. Maro Itoje - 7
His tireless work ethic put the Scots under pressure but also led to some silly penalties. He did well in contesting lineouts too.
5. Nick Isiekwe - 6
Lent his hand in an efficient England lineout and carried well with ball in hand. Solid outing.
6. Lewis Ludlam - 7
A handy lineout option and a threat over the ball, and carried to good effect into the Scotland defence.
7. Tom Curry - 7
Influential at the breakdown in another industrious display, somewhat bettered by his opposite number but still a strong game from the skipper.
8. Sam Simmonds - 5
Largely animous at time before bursting into the Scottish defence with ball in hand. May lose his place to Dombrandt.
Replacements:
16. Jamie George - 5
17. Joe Marler - 5
18. Will Stuart - 5
19. Charlie Ewels - n/a
20. Alex Dombrandt - 5
21. Harry Randall - n/a
22. George Ford - 5
23. Jack Nowell - n/a
