England
15 Freddie Steward Picked up from where he left off here in the autumn and swept up in the back field with real authority. 8
14 Max Malins Tried to link with Smith, as he did so impressively against Italy, and had a few weaving runs down his right wing. 7
13 Henry Slade Always looking to make something happen when in possession and came up with a classy kick for 50:22. 7
12 Elliot Daly Confirmed as Manu Tuilagi’s replacement just before kick-off so there can be few complaints with his showing. 6
11 Jack Nowell Constantly looking for work off his wing and though not much space in which to work he showed his defensive qualities. 7
10 Marcus Smith A couple of goosesteps to get the crowd on their feet and a lovely dummy to beat Beard. Missed one clear kick. 8
9 Harry Randall Wasn’t able to inject tempo that often, such was the stop-start nature of the match, but always a threat when he could. 7
1 Ellis Genge Part of a front-row that struggled at the scrum but made countless dominant tackles. Kept his composure. 9
2 Luke Cowan-Dickie Began brightly and was a menace at the breakdown, even if his lineout throwing was not perfect. 6
3 Kyle Sinckler Led the team out on his 50th appearance and made some early dents with ball in hand but he was twice penalised. 6
4 Charlie Ewels So close to scoring the opening try but can be pleased with his day’s work nonetheless. 7
5 Maro Itoje England’s maul continues to develop into a significant weapon and Itoje plays a large part in that. 8
6 Courtney Lawes (capt) Performed as if he’d never been away, making fierce tackles and his presence felt at the breakdown. 7
7 Tom Curry Thundered into Liam Williams early on and teamed up with Lawes to drive Basham backwards. 7
8 Alex Dombrandt Best performance in an England jersey by some distance, growing into the match as it wore on. 9
REPLACEMENTS
Jamie George (for Cowan-Dickie, 25) Assured 7; Joe Marler (for Genge, 72) Key tackle 7; Will Stuart (for Sinckler, 72) N/A; Nick Isiekwe (for Ewels, 69) Won important penalty 7; Sam Simmonds (for Curry, ht) On periphery 6; Ben Youngs (for Randall, 61) Record-breaking cameo 7; Joe Marchant (for Daly, 74) N/A
Wales
15 Liam Williams Did well to deny Ewels but earned a silly yellow card moments later. Commanding in the air, dangerous on the counter. 8
14 Alex Cuthbert Threat with ball in hand and made one piercing run, but all too often failed to find teammates in space. 8
13 Owen Watkin Good chase to put Daly under pressure before a brief spell off the field with a head injury, after which he largely fed off scraps. 6
12 Nick Tompkins Largely limited to carries in heavy traffic but his try was reward for his determination. One of Wales’ best performers. 8
11 Josh Adams Relatively quiet during the first half but has a nose for the tryline and finally got Wales on the board. 7
10 Dan Biggar (capt) Constantly in the referee’s ear. Handling wasn’t perfect but his tenacity kept Wales in the fight. Kept battling to the final whistle. 7
9 Tomos Williams Looked to up the pace with quickly-taken kicks which kept England’s defence honest. Denied an early try by referee. 7
1 Wyn Jones Had Sinckler’s number at the scrum but failed to make much of an impression in open play. Withdrawn early in second half. 7
2 Ryan Elias Horrible throw near England’s line ended a spell of Wales pressure and gave a penalty away soon after. Not a day to remember. 4
3 Tomas Francis Off midway through the first half with a head injury and it was a surprise to see him return. Made his mark at scrum-time. 6
4 Will Rowlands Made his presence felt at the lineout and did not shy away from the dirty work but was quiet on the whole. 6
5 Adam Beard Gave away early penalty amid frantic start but settled into the match. Did his best to make up for Alun Wyn Jones’ absence. 7
6 Ross Moriarty Discipline let him down in first half. Kept plugging away but not as big a contribution as he has made in this fixture before. 5
7 Taine Basham Outgunned at the breakdown and gave away multiple penalties. Clearly has a bright future but this was not his day. 4
8 Taulupe Faletau Incredible second-half display even without factoring in how long he’s been sidelined. The spearhead of Wales’s fightback. 9
REPLACEMENTS
Gareth Thomas (for Jones, 45) Butchered overlap 3; Leon Brown (for Francis, 56) Got stuck in 6; Jac Morgan (for Basham, 56) Little influence 5; Jonathan Davies (for Watkin, 69) Robust 6; Kieran Hardy (for T Williams, 69) Well-taken try 7; Dewi Lake (for Elias, 68) N/A; Seb Davies (for Moriarty, 70) N/A; Gareth Anscombe (for L Williams 73) N/A
