England survived a huge scare against sensational Samoa at the Rugby World Cup.
Steve Borthwick’s side trailed for much of their thrilling Pool D encounter in Lille on Saturday, only to rescure a late 18-17 win courtesy of veteran scrum-half Danny Care’s crucial try off the bench.
While a fourth victory from as many games sealed a perfect group-stage run for England, the manner of the performance from a full-strength team will provoke real concerns ahead of next weekend’s quarter-finals.
Standard Sport’s rugby correspondent Nick Purewal was at the Stade Pierre-Mauroy to rate the England players.
Backs
Freddie Steward – 5
Caught out of position, a rarity, for Samoa’s cross-field kick try.
Joe Marchant – 5
Showed glimpses of what he can do but drifted out of the game for long periods.
Manu Tuilagi – 7
Delivered a promising performance on the front foot against his homeland.
Owen Farrell – 6
Linked well with Ford but struggled for accuracy in a rare off-kilter effort.
Jonny May – 7
Grafted all night with little success but was always busy and available for the ball.
George Ford – 6
Started the night in purring form with Farrell but ended it being hauled off before the hour in a frustrating showing.
Alex Mitchell – 5
Slipped off the lofty perch he set for himself with his shining turn against Argentina, with his core skills looking rusty.
Forwards
Ellis Genge – 6
Struggled to dominate Samoa in the tight and around the fringes.
Jamie George – 7
Another very solid showing from England’s crucial experienced front-row forward.
Dan Cole – 6
Locked down the scrum early on but could not sustain that level.
Maro Itoje – 6
Will be kicking himself for his forward pass that denied Marchant what would have been a fine try.
Ollie Chessum – 8
England’s best player on a piecemeal night but at least one where the Red Rose men hit back to claim victory.
Courtney Lawes – 6
Struggled to impose himself on a night full of mistakes and frustration.
Tom Curry – 7
A promising showing given his lack of rugby but will need to raise the level again for the quarter-finals.
Ben Earl – 6
Always puts himself about and his engine carried him through but did not deliver to his usual high standards.
Replacements
Joe Marler (for Genge, 55) – 6
Struggled to hit his usual levels in both the tight and loose.
Kyle Sinckler (for Cole, 48) – 6
Still working back to his sharpest after injury.
George Martin (for Lawes, 59) – 7
A physical cameo from the powerhouse Leicester lock.
Billy Vunipola (for Curry, blood 45-55, 74) – 6
Searching for his best rugby, just when England need him most.
Danny Care (for Mitchell, 66) – 8
Seized the crucial moment with the winning score to spare England’s blushes.
Marcus Smith (for Ford, 51) – 8
Looked sharp on the ball at full-back again and almost sparked a try to remember only for Itoje’s forward pass to thwart Marchant.
Ollie Lawrence (for Tuilagi, 58) – 7
Cut the line with one telling punch that shows what he can provide to this England team.
Unused: Theo Dan
