England player ratings: Ben Earl the hero as Red Rose seal stunning win over Ireland
England number eight Ben Earl launches an attack against Ireland at Twickenham.
After their 23-22 victory in the Six Nations against Ireland at Twickenham, here’s how the England team performed on Saturday.
England player ratings v Ireland
15 George Furbank: The Northampton Saint proved a handful to the Irish defence whenever he joined the line on attack and was rewarded with a deserved try for his efforts. Eventually, he finished with 76 attacking metres gained from 12 runs with one clean break, two defenders beaten, and an offload, but his defensive work is an area which needs improvement. 7
14 Immanuel Feyi-Waboso: The young Exeter Chiefs flyer showed why he is so highly rated, as he made his presence felt with a strong attacking performance. England boss Steve Borthwick encouraged the youngster to get stuck in on his first Test start, and he certainly did that as he was superb on attack. Finished with 74 metres gained from nine runs and also impressed on defence with six tackles. 8
13 Henry Slade: A solid performance from the Exeter Chief who caught the eye with clever play on attack, which saw him finishing with 32 attacking metres gained from seven runs, and was solid on defence with six tackles made. Replaced by Elliot Daly in the 66th minute. 7
Strong performance in midfield
12 Ollie Lawrence: Showed how dangerous he can be with some strong carries and was rewarded with a well-taken try in the opening half while also being denied one during the same period following a knock-on from Furbank in the build-up. His battle with Bundee Aki was one of the highlights of the game, and he also did well on defence. Lawrence finished with 37 metres gained on attack and 14 tackles made. 8
11 Tommy Freeman: Continues to impress in the international arena as he proved difficult to contain with ball in hand and he tested Ireland’s attack with some fine runs. The 23-year-old finished the match with 55 metres gained after completing eight carries. 8
10 George Ford: Not his best display for his country as he battled on defence, especially when Aki ran in his channel, while he also had a forgetful day off the kicking tee, which nearly cost his team this match. Was eventually yanked off on the hour-mark, with Marcus Smith coming on to replace him. 5
9 Alex Mitchell: The 26-year-old showed again why he is England’s first-choice number nine as he proved a superb link between forwards and backs during a 66-minute stint before being replaced by Test centurion Danny Care. Mitchell varied his play well during his time on the field, with his box kicks generally on point, and he also tested the defence with some sniping breaks. 8
Planet Rugby’s player ratings key.
8 Ben Earl: The Saracens star continued with the outstanding form which he displayed throughout the Six Nations. He delivered an outstanding all-round showing as he proved a handful to the Irish defence with numerous outstanding attacking runs but also put in a huge shift on defence. Finished with a team-high 101 metres gained from a whopping 19 carries and scored a deserved try while also making 12 tackles. 10
7 Sam Underhill: One of England’s unsung heroes, the 27-year-old did brilliantly in slowing down Ireland’s ball at the breakdowns and also did his bit on defence, where he completed six tackles, before being replaced by Chandler Cunningham-South in the 61st minute. 7
Shift to the back-row pays off
6 Ollie Chessum: The 23-year-old was shifted to the blindside flank from the second-row for this clash and will be happy with his performance as he put in a huge effort during a 66-minute display. He was a valuable source of possession in the lineouts and also shone in the execution of his defensive duties, where he made seven hits. 7
5 George Martin: The Leicester Tiger came into the Red Rose starting line-up and hit the ground running with a solid all-round performance. Martin was a willing ball carrier, especially at close quarters, put his body on the line when climbing into the rucks and made his biggest impact on defence, where he finished a joint team-high 14 tackles, made of which several were thunderous hits. 8
4 Maro Itoje: The experienced second-row was solid in the lineouts, where he did well on England’s throw-ins and when contesting for Ireland’s ball, but also made his presence felt on defence, where he completed 11 tackles during an 80-minute stint. 7
3 Dan Cole: The veteran tighthead prop did what was expected of him during a 54-minute stint before being replaced by Will Stuart. Cole stood up well in the scrums and shone on defence as he made six tackles. 7
2 Jamie George (c): Like Cole and fellow front-rower Ellis Genge, the England captain was replaced by the 54th minute, but he put in a big effort during his time on the field. George did well with ball in and as he gained 30 metres from five carries, which included a clean break, and also did well on defence with six tackle completions. 8
1 Ellis Genge: England’s first-choice loosehead prop emptied the tank during his 54-minute stint on the field as he was solid in the scrums and a willing ball carrier during that period. He also put his body on the line on defence with five hits. 7
Replacements: Borthwick deserves plenty of credit for the way he used his bench and the timing of his substitutions, which seemed to work out to perfection. The likes of Smith, Daly and Care impressed in the backline while Dan, Marler, Stuart, Cunningham-South and Alex Dombrandt also did well when entering the fray. 8
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