England player ratings: Marcus Smith the ‘magician’ as fly-half produces best Test display in agonising All Blacks loss

Following a 24-17 defeat to the All Blacks in the international clash at Eden Park on Saturday, here are the player ratings for England.

15 Freddie Steward: It was tough for the full-back, who was playing his first match since early May, but he struggled. Was slow to turn and got caught too many times. 4

14 Immanuel Feyi-Waboso: Just looks a Test match player, making impacts on both sides of the ball. Took his try superbly and was always a threat with ball in hand against the All Blacks. 7

13 Henry Slade: Just hasn’t quite transferred his Exeter Chiefs form onto the international stage. Didn’t do much wrong but he never really got into the game. 5

12 Ollie Lawrence: Defensively, he did his job well but there were just a few too many errors in attack, including for the late disallowed try. 5

11 Tommy Freeman: Incredible grab for the try in what was an improved display from the wing. Good in the air and powerful in the carry. 6

Coming of age

10 Marcus Smith: It was Marcus the magician at Eden Park in his best Test display. He was sublime in the first half, setting up England’s tries with pinpoint crossfield kicks. Smith also did well in the third quarter, pinning the All Blacks back before he was strangely taken off, although he did come back on for an injured Steward to almost spark a revival. 9

9 Alex Mitchell: Continues to excel at half-back. There wasn’t so many chances for Mitchell to snipe on Saturday but he kicked well and kept the pace high. 7

8 Ben Earl: Immense work ethic once again. Made a staggering 23 carries and never took a backwards step. Would probably have liked to have make a few more dents, but he has enjoyed a wonderful 12 months. 7

7 Sam Underhill: Not as influential as last week and there were a few too many missed tackles. 5

6 Chandler Cunningham-South: Got shunted back a couple of times in the tackle but also made some brutal carries. Not quite as impressive as last weekend but another step on the learning curve for the youngster. 6

5 George Martin: A player every team loves to have, Martin makes big impacts around the tight exchanges through his sheer power. Also the primary lineout and restart option. 7

World-class Maro

4 Maro Itoje: He was simply flawless in the first half, one of the best performances you will see. However, Itoje crossed the disciplinary line a few too many times in the second period. Still, a remarkable display. 9

3 Will Stuart: It was another struggle in the scrum for the tighthead, although he was more influential elsewhere. However, the set-piece is his bread and butter and it needs to be rectified. 4

2 Jamie George: Theo Dan’s injury effectively meant he had to do an 80-minute shift, so full credit to the hooker. There was the odd lineout wobble, but the captain was generally impressive with his throwing and he also put in the work defensively. 6

1 Fin Baxter: Quite the 70-minute stint from the talented loosehead. Baxter had problems in the scrum early on but those were generally rectified over time. Very much a player to watch going forward. 6

Replacements: Once again, the forwards just couldn’t make the necessary impact but there was one wonderful run from wing Ollie Sleightholme. That was great from the speedster but the rest was decidedly poor. 4

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