England player ratings: Pack lays the platform for George Ford’s heroics

Following a 27-10 victory over Argentina in the Rugby World Cup clash at the Stade de Marseille on Saturday, here are our player ratings for England.

15 Freddie Steward: Solid at the back and chased well as England dominated in the air. 7

14 Jonny May: Not too much opportunity with ball in hand but he put the Argentinian catchers under real pressure throughout. 6

13 Joe Marchant: In contrast to the warm-ups, there were very few holes in that midfield. Marshalled that difficult 13 channel very well. 7

12 Manu Tuilagi: Like Marchant, really stepped up defensively. His huge hit was a highlight of the second half. 7

11 Elliot Daly: Did his job in this England team, which was to chase and chase hard, but difficult to make an impression otherwise. Missed two long-range attempts off the tee. 6

10 George Ford: Utterly superb. His drop-goals – two of them from way out – knocked the stuffing out of Los Pumas, who never recovered. 9

9 Alex Mitchell: Did extremely well amidst the chaos. England’s game doesn’t necessarily suit him, but he kicked well and controlled the match. He also sniped a couple of times when it was on. 8

Experienced players step up

8 Ben Earl: Was one of England’s best during the warm-ups and he impressed in the proper thing. Carried well and slowed Argentinian ball down at the breakdown. 8

7 Tom Curry: Some said he was unlucky, but ultimately he was high in contact and paid the price. Fortunately, his team-mates bailed him out. 1

6 Courtney Lawes (c): Captain fantastic. We said Lawes was the player they couldn’t afford to lose and the flanker showed why with a superb display. 8

5 Ollie Chessum: Probably the least influential player in the pack, although he still put himself about throughout his time on the field. 6

4 Maro Itoje: That was more like it from the hugely gifted second-row. Popped up time and time again when England needed him to produce decisive moments. 8

3 Dan Cole: Scrummaged hard and put Thomas Gallo under duress. A good shift from the 36-year-old tighthead. 7

2 Jamie George: Excellent in pretty much every facet of the game and got a huge ovation when he left the field. 8

1 Ellis Genge: Not quite the carrying brilliance we’re used to, with the loosehead slightly subdued at the moment. Scrummaging was solid, however. 6

Replacements: Joe Marler and Will Stuart continued the good work in the set-piece and Danny Care showed all his experience at scrum-half, but ultimately the game was effectively won when most of the bench came on. 7

READ MORE: George Ford drop-goal masterclass helps 14-man England dismantle dismal Argentina