England player ratings: ‘Best player’ Marcus Smith let down by ‘shambolic’ defence as centres have a shocker
Marcus Smith and Henry Slade in action for England against the Wallabies.
Following a shock 42-37 defeat to the Wallabies in the international clash at Allianz Stadium on Saturday, here are the player ratings for England.
15 George Furbank: Was rightly heralded in July but Furbank was very poor on Saturday. Overplayed on far too many occasions, which subsequently led to errors and turnovers. 4
14 Immanuel Feyi-Waboso: Brilliant against the All Blacks but quieter in this match. Worryingly went off with a nasty-looking injury when trying to stop Jeremy Williams’ try. 5
13 Ollie Lawrence: Is he a Test match animal? We’re not quite convinced. Some good things, but he conceded too many turnovers and his drop led to Andrew Kellaway’s score. Defensively struggled too. 4
12 Henry Slade: That defence was an absolute shambles and Slade made so many bad decisions. Better with ball in hand but missed tackles and an inability to read the situation correctly resulted in a very poor day. 3
11 Tommy Freeman: Good in the air generally but lacking that real zip with ball in hand. Still finding his feet at this level. 5
More magic moments
10 Marcus Smith: England lost their way in the second quarter, which the half-backs needed to get control of, but he was still their best player. Everything good the Red Rose did came through him. Possibly got it wrong for the Wallabies’ winning try but, considering how much good he did during the game, Smith should be excused. 8
9 Ben Spencer: Delivery could be a bit sharper and his kicking wasn’t quite as accurate this weekend. 5
8 Ben Earl: Work ethic outstanding yet again but struggled to punch holes in the Australian rearguard. 6
7 Tom Curry: Started off really well, playing a key role in the opening try, but knocked himself out trying to tackle Rob Valetini and didn’t return. 6
6 Chandler Cunningham-South: Was at the centre of England’s fast start, scoring two tries. There were also some customary big hits and carries, but he also missed a few tackles. 7
‘Hands like cement’
5 George Martin: Hands like cement, while he failed to make the desired impact at close quarters. Not his best day. 5
4 Maro Itoje: Joseph Suaalii gave him trouble at the restarts but the lock still managed to play well. Was good in the lineout and put himself about in the loose. 7
3 Will Stuart: Another good game from the tighthead, especially in the loose, as he made some big carries. Scrum was generally solid as well. 7
2 Jamie George (c): Lost control of his troops in some regards after they imploded in the second quarter. Usual solidity in the set-piece but it was a bad day for England in general, and he has to take some responsibility. 5
1 Ellis Genge: Like Stuart, Genge was a significant presence with ball in hand, while he gave Taniela Tupou some problems at the scrum. 7
Replacements: Not as bad as last weekend, with Ollie Sleightholme making a two-try impact, while this game was ideal for Harry Randall. However, Fin Baxter and Dan Cole keep on struggling in the scrum and George Ford again failed to dominate the game when he came on. 6
