England suffered a defeat in the Calcutta Cup on Saturday, losing 31-20 to Scotland in Edinburgh during the Six Nations.
This was not the performance that head coach Steve Borthwick would have envisioned, as the team experienced a sluggish start from which they could not recover at Murrayfield.
Below are ESPN’s player ratings for the England team.
1. Ellis Genge – 4
Was caught out for a try just as England seemed to be gaining momentum and had difficulty against Scotland’s robust defense.
2. Luke Cowan-Dickie – 5
The lineout was reliable, and he showed strength in certain moments, but he made a few handling mistakes in contact.
3. Joe Heyes – 5
The scrum performed adequately, but they failed to capitalize on it effectively. It was a decent performance, but Borthwick will expect more from his front row overall.
4. Maro Itoje – 5.5
Did not make the physical impact he would have desired upon his return to the starting lineup. Also had a few loose carries.
5. Ollie Chessum – 6
Showed strength with the ball and contributed to England’s forward momentum at times. A challenging player for any defense.
6. Guy Pepper – 5
Was mostly quiet during the match but made a few solid tackles.
7. Sam Underhill – 4
Substituted at halftime. Had a limited impact during his 40 minutes on the field.
8. Ben Earl – 7
Arguably England’s standout player. With 23 carries, he consistently sought opportunities, ran hard, and executed his try well.
9. Alex Mitchell – 5
Had a couple of promising runs that were undermined by poor decision-making. He had opportunities to score but mishandled the ball when it mattered.
10. George Ford – 5
Ford became somewhat predictable. His execution on the drop-goal attempt was lacking and likely not the best choice.
11. Henry Arundell – 4
Received a yellow card, scored a try, and then was shown another yellow card. Ultimately, a match to forget.
12. Fraser Dingwall – 5.5
Showed effort but was caught out defensively on several occasions.
13. Tommy Freeman – 5
Was unable to establish himself in the game and was outplayed by Finn Russell and Sione Tuipulotu in the midfield.
14. Tom Roebuck – 5
Had very little ball and struggled to make an impact on the game.
15. Freddie Steward – 6
Displayed inconsistent performance. Had a try within reach but was pushed out by the much smaller Darcy Graham.
Replacements:
16. Jamie George: 4
17. Bevan Rodd: 4
18. Trevor Davison: n/a
19. Alex Coles: 5
20. Tom Curry: 6
21. Henry Pollock: 5
22. Ben Spencer: n/a
23. Fin Smith: 4.5
