England player ratings v Argentina: ‘Assured’ George Ford celebrates century in style while ‘hulking’ forward makes Lions statement
George Ford and Tom Willis impressed for England.
Following a 35-12 victory for England against Argentina in La Plata on Saturday, here’s our player ratings for Steve Borthwick’s men.
15 Freddie Steward: A no frills first half but like his Red Rose team-mates he started the second in style, laying on a try for Tom Roebuck with a well-timed catch and pass before diving over for his own score soon after. Oozed class at times and looks full of confidence at the moment. 7
14 Tom Roebuck: A typically honest shift from a player pushing for a long-term spot in the England side. A charge-down in the Pumas 22 led to George Ford knocking over a drop-goal on 20 minutes before he enjoyed a purple patch in the second half, scoring a brace of tries on the right wing. 8
13 Henry Slade: Was clobbered by Rodrigo Isgro in the early knockings and didn’t really feature much thereafter. Some errors crept into his game late on but played his part in England’s backline causing Los Pumas ample problems in that spell after the break. 5
12 Seb Atkinson: Picked up England’s second yellow card of the game but that was due to the team racking up offences in the first period. Never took a backward step as his stock continues to rise. 6
11 Will Muir: The galloping ‘Horse’ has deceptive pace as he eats up the ground with his long stride, whether that’s chasing kicks or carrying. He was also solid in the air but he’ll feel frustrated about his lack of involvement in the red zone while other wings crossed. 6
10 George Ford (cc): Copped a big hit early on in his 100th Test and then made a Horlicks of gathering a ball in his 22. But such is the measure of the man, Ford bounced back with that well-taken drop-goal to open the scoring before making the right calls with an assured kicking game out of hand and off the tee in a 15-point haul. His assist for Steward was a thing of beauty too. 8
9 Ben Spencer: Didn’t really feature with ball in hand after a sparkling, trophy-laden season for Bath. It seemed the message was to play for territory and his box-kicking was on point. 6
The forwards
8 Tom Willis: Picked up a great breakdown steal in the first half for a confidence booster but it was with ball in hand he really caught the eye. His ability to make metres after contact was on show as he outshone one of the best back-row trios in the world game. Knocking on the Lions’ door? 9
7 Sam Underhill: A quiet outing from the Bath star as he didn’t catch the eye in La Plata. 17 tackles illustrates a typically rugged shift. 5
6 Ben Curry: Much like Underhill he wasn’t too prominent and he’ll be frustrated by a couple of errors, one being coughing up a penalty at the breakdown. However, he proved a solid lineout option and emptied the tank around the field. 6
5 Alex Coles: He’d like to forget his clumsy yellow for being too high in an attempted tackle on Facundo Isa, but that shouldn’t take away from what was an all-action performance. Incredibly mobile yet powerful and also racked up 17 tackles. 6
4 Charlie Ewels: Played his part in England’s successful evening at scrum time and was tidy elsewhere with the nuts and bolts, making some key interventions. This victory will help ease the pain of his dislocated finger. 7
3 Joe Heyes: The England pack had some dominance at scrum time and Heyes certainly put it about defensively too, with a massive double hit with his prop partner forcing Mayco Vivas to spill a carry earning deserved praise from his team-mates. The tighthead also set up Roebuck’s second try with a smart pass off the base of a ruck. 8
2 Jamie George (cc): Irked by early throw being adjudged skew but the set-piece was solid thereafter while he did his best to build a relationship with referee Angus Gardner. It says a lot that Borthwick kept George out there for almost the full game. 7
1 Fin Baxter: A rampaging carry in the first half coupled by a solid set-piece will delight Baxter as he continues to show he is a top-class international front-rower, even at just 23. 7
Replacements: England largely kept faith with their starting team until late on so there wasn’t a massive opportunity to make an impact. However, a mention goes to Cadan Murley who took his try expertly. He’ll hope for a start next weekend. 5
