England player ratings: Ollie Chessum impresses but it is not enough to retain Calcutta Cup
Following a 29-23 defeat to Scotland in their Six Nations Test at Twickenham on Saturday, here are the player ratings for England.
15 Freddie Steward: Scotland tended to kick long rather than to compete, which rather negated Steward’s strengths. Carried hard but didn’t make many indents. 6
14 Max Malins: Two tries but both put on a plate for him really. Worked hard, got involved but obviously overshadowed by the man opposite him. 7
13 Joe Marchant: Maybe harsh but missed the tackle for Duhan van der Merwe’s brilliant first score and didn’t make much impact in attack. 5
12 Owen Farrell (c): Kicked poorly off the tee but the partnership with Marcus Smith did look more fluid. 6
11 Ollie Hassell-Collins: A couple of decent runs but he couldn’t quite break free. 6
10 Marcus Smith: Played well for the most part. Decision-making was good apart from one bad run, although Marchant could have cut an angle. 7
9 Jack van Poortvliet: A mixed game from the young scrum-half. Service was good but he was a bit slow at times. Box-kicking was also surprisingly off. 6
Ludlam and Chessum the best among the forwards
8 Alex Dombrandt: Got one turnover at the breakdown and, as usual, took some nice lines without really making the dents in the defence he would like. 6
7 Ben Curry: Bad miss for Ben White’s try but otherwise solid on his first England start. Some big tackles, excellent work ethic and his carry set up Ellis Genge’s score. 6
6 Lewis Ludlam: Outstanding work rate. Carried all game and pretty much always made it over the gain line. A very good performance in a losing cause. 8
5 Ollie Chessum: Probably the best forward on the field in the first half. Wasn’t quite as good in the second period and there were a few lineout wobbles, but Chessum is readymade for Test rugby. 8
4 Maro Itoje: Once again not his usual presence on the field. Scotland marshalled him pretty comfortably. Under threat of getting dropped? 5
3 Kyle Sinckler: A much better performance from the tighthead. Had his zip back in the loose and created go-forward ball for the Red Rose. Scrummaging still not quite what it was, however. 7
2 Jamie George: Lineout was a problem. Easy to blame the hooker and not wholly his fault but a frustrating day for the Saracens man. 5
1 Ellis Genge: Great to see him carrying far more in this game. Some big indents and a fascinating battle with WP Nel which ended even. 8
Replacements: The props made an immediate impact in the set-piece but looked all at sea defensively. Ben Youngs was also poor off the bench as they lost their shape in the final 15 minutes. 5
READ MORE: Duhan van der Merwe double helps Scotland beat England to retain Calcutta Cup
