England player ratings v Scotland: ‘Sobering night’ for visitors as winger’s ‘nightmare’ sums up defeat
Ben Earl was a standout performer for England on a tough day for Henry Arundell, inset
Following England’s 31-20 defeat to Scotland at Murrayfield, here is how we scored Steve Borthwick’s men in the Calcutta Cup Test.
England player ratings v Scotland
15 Freddie Steward: Always looked to make the positive choice on a night where his backline couldn’t fire at their full potential. Did well under the high-ball and made some decent in-roads ball-in-hand off the back of it and ended with a team-high tally of 81 metres carried. 6
14 Tom Roebuck: Starved of any real time on the ball and lost the aerial battle against a red-hot Scotland unit. Just not his day. 5
13 Tommy Freeman: Busy throughout his shift, but couldn’t quite get the breakaway he deserved. Cannot fault his efforts, though, as he consistently went looking to get his hands on the ball and managed to notch some good metres as a result. 6
12 Fraser Dingwall: So often seen as the key link player in this attack, but struggled to really shine with his side’s attack stifled. Connected well with Freeman, but otherwise kept under wraps. 5
11 Henry Arundell: Can’t say it was uneventful. Copped an early yellow card, and that period saw Scotland score 14 points. Grabbed a try within minutes of his return and then saw himself given a second yellow for a clash with Kyle Steyn in the air. A real nightmare, especially after working his way back into the starting XV. 4
10 George Ford: A few flashes of his usual quality, but struggled to get much of a foothold into the game as Scotland dominated proceedings. His charged-down drop-goal attempt also served as the killer moment for his beaten team. 5
9 Alex Mitchell: Did well in pretty trying conditions for a scrum-half, as Scotland flew into the breakdown, and looked to offer a threat in the carry as well. 6
Back-row
8 Ben Earl: A bright spark on a really sobering day for the visitors, and you probably feel his late try was justly deserved. Was always in the thick of the action, ending the night with a game-high tally of 22 carries alongside 80 metres. 8
7 Sam Underhill: Is usually so pivotal for England, but struggled to get a foothold into this match. Missed four of his nine tackle attempts and found himself second-best in his positional battle with Rory Darge before being hooked at half-time for Tom Curry. Has had better days in an England shirt and certainly will have better days moving forward. 4
6 Guy Pepper: Solid enough, but couldn’t quite have his usual effect on proceedings before being subbed off in the second-half. 5
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Tight five
5 Ollie Chessum: Didn’t put a foot wrong across his shift, running his blood to water in a workhorse effort. 6
4 Maro Itoje (c): Typically worked hard around the park before his departure in the second-half, but no real standout moments. 5
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3 Joe Heyes: The scrum was probably the only thing England got spot on and he was a big part of this with a strong effort in that department. Also got himself about in the loose. 7
2 Luke Cowan-Dickie: Contributed well to his side’s solid set-piece and looked to get involved around the park to decent effect. 6
1 Ellis Genge: Will certainly be angry with his spill for Ben White’s try, although he should have never been left in that position to begin with, but scrummaged like a man possessed as he tore through Zander Fagerson and milked plenty of penalties out of him. Carried hard through heavy traffic, too, as we have come to expect. 7
Replacements: The bench actually had a decent impact overall, but couldn’t quite get their side over the line. Henry Pollock’s pace and power added a threat England lacked in the early exchanges and could very well see him start next weekend against Ireland, while Fin Smith also managed to get a tune out of his side towards the back end of the Test. Bevan Rodd, Jamie George, and Trevor Davison also held up the scrum well upon their respective entries, while Ben Spencer did okay with what he was given. By no means game-changing, but some solid efforts. 6