Six Nations: Wales Player Ratings v England

Six Nations: Wales Player Ratings v England

Wales produced a brief fightback in the latter stages of their Six Nations clash against England at Twickenham on Saturday.

However, Marcus Smith scored 18 points to see England to a 23-19 victory.

Here is how we rated Wayne Pivac's side.

15. Liam Williams - 6

He was sent to the sin bin for a silly penalty, but Wales managed to stop England from scoring a try while he was off. He was solid under the high ball and sparked Wales' attack linking up well with his fellow outside backs. He was replaced in the final 10 minutes of the game.

14. Alex Cuthbert - 8

Cuthbert turned up in a big way in his 50th cap. He was a thorn in the England defence's side as he managed to bust through defenders and impose himself. Causing havoc with each touch, Cuthbert chased kicks well and defended well too. 


13. Owen Watkin - 6

Watkin put in a solid defensive shift while he couldn't spark Wales' attack as he did against Scotland. 

12. Nick Tompkins - 7

Tompkins led the way on defence in the backline tackling ferociously. He took his chance to score well and had some excellent touches on attack. 


11. Josh Adams - 6.5

Wales couldn't make the most of Adams' pace out wide as the winger spent a lot of the game chasing high balls. When he did get his chance to punish England, he sped away to score. He looked far more comfortable on the wing. 

10. Dan Biggar - 6

It was a relentless outing from the Welsh captain who emptied the tank, trying to pull a victory out of the hat. His missed kicks proved costly, but his second-half performance was an improvement on the first half. 

9. Tomos Williams - 7

A superb one-handed pass sparked a threatening attack by Wales. His assist for Adams' try was excellent, with a peach of pass missing several England defenders.

1. Wyn Jones - 6.5

Jones was sound defensively as he threw his weight around. England got little purchase on his side of the scrum. 

2. Ryan Elias - 5

A busy performance around the park as he flung himself into England ball carriers but his two failed lineouts cost Wales - although not all the blame falls at his feet. 

3. Tomas Francis - 7

Francis won two scrum penalties for his side in a sturdy shift that saw him forced off before coming back on. Strong on defence and hit a ton of rucks. 

4. Will Rowlands - 6

Rowland got through a lot of grunt work for his side. He shone with his counter-rucking and came up with a lineout steal. 

5. Adam Beard - 5

A workmanlike performance around the pitch, clearing out breakdowns and making his tackles. Wales had their struggles at lineout time, and some of that blame has to fall at his feet. He could not get into the air for the one that led to Dombrandt's try - which Wales can feel hard done by as he looked to have been impeded. 

6. Ross Moriarty - 5

A quiet yet, solid outing for the blindside flanker. Moriarty is renowned for his solid carriers and heavy hits on defence. He did not disappoint in those two areas of the game. 

7. Taine Basham - 6

Fierce on defence and carried with the same intent. Bashman continued his excellent form in the Red jersey, pestering the England breakdown. Surprisingly substituted before the hour mark.  

8. Taulupe Faletau - 8

Turnovers, carries and tackles, Faletau was brilliant in every facet of the game for Wales as he stamped his mark on his return to the test arena.

Replacements: 

16. Dewi Lake - 6

17. Gareth Thomas - 5

18. Leon Brown - 5

19. Seb Davies - 6 

20. Jac Morgan - 6.5

21. Kieran Hardy - 7

22. Gareth Anscombe - 6

23. Jonathan Davies - 6

 

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