England experienced one of their most significant defeats against Ireland on Saturday, losing 42-12 at Twickenham.
This marked a second consecutive loss for Steve Borthwick’s team, effectively diminishing their chances of securing the Six Nations title.
Below are ESPN’s player ratings for the home team.
1. Ellis Genge – 7
Competed vigorously, and the scrum was reliable early on due to his contributions.
2. Luke Cowan-Dickie – 4
The lineout was inconsistent from the start and he was substituted before halftime. While not entirely his fault, he faced the consequences.
3. Joe Heyes – 6
Had some effective carries and maintained the scrum well but diminished in influence as the match progressed.
4. Maro Itoje – 6
Not the memorable 100th cap he had hoped for, yet he made some powerful runs. The lineout performance was not among England’s best today.
5. Ollie Chessum – 6
Had limited support, but England was once again overpowered at the breakdown.
6. Tom Curry – 6
Did not make the desired impact in his return to the starting lineup. Appeared to be dealing with one or two injuries in the second half.
7. Ben Earl – 7
Strong performance again, though not as commanding as the previous week. Remains England’s best chance of gaining momentum.
8. Henry Pollock – 6.5
Did not mark his first start in an extraordinary manner. Received a yellow card but showed improvement upon his return.
9. Alex Mitchell – 4
Struggled to get the team moving and was unfortunate to sustain an injury relatively early.
10. George Ford – 6
Kicking was off-target at the beginning of the match, which cost England valuable chances to attack early.
11. Henry Arundell – 5
Had a few positive moments but also made several inaccurate offloads.
12. Fraser Dingwall – 7
His solid contributions went largely unnoticed but he competed well against Stuart McCloskey, who had an excellent game. Finished his try effectively.
13. Ollie Lawrence – 7
Added strength and impact to the midfield but lacked sufficient support. Likely did enough to retain the 13 jersey for now.
14. Tommy Freeman – 7
Appeared energetic when he received the ball out wide and was unfortunate not to score, though he could not involve himself extensively.
15. Freddie Steward – 5
Had difficulties in the air, failed to make the desired impact, and was substituted just before halftime.
Replacements:
16. Jamie George: 7
17. Bevan Rodd: n/a
18. Trevor Davison: n/a
19. Alex Coles: 6
20. Guy Pepper: 5
21. Sam Underhill: 7
22. Jack van Poortvliet: 6.5
23. Marcus Smith: 7
