Six Nations 2022: Player ratings from England’s 23-19 victory over Wales at Twickenham | Rugby Union News

How the players from both England and Wales rated out of 10 after an enthralling Six Nations encounter at Twickenham Stadium

Taulupe Faletau delivered an 80-minute performance on his return to Test rugby

We look at how the players from both the England and Wales teams rated out of 10 following an enthralling Six Nations encounter at Twickenham. Stadium…

England

Freddie Steward: Provided England with a solid foundation at the back, but needs to get more involved in attack. 6/10

Max Malins: The backline around him failed to gel as hoped for and he had little opportunity to show his class. 6

Elliot Daly: Came in as a late replacement for the injured Manu Tuilagi, but he has yet to shine as a Test outside centre. 6

Henry Slade: Kicked beautifully and also produced some eye-catching moments with the ball in hand. 7

Jack Nowell: Looked for work but has yet to have the impact of old since his comeback from injury. 6

Marcus Smith was named as the player of the match following England’s victory at Twickenham

Marcus Smith: Kicked his goals and did everything possible to inspire England’s attack in a player of the match display. 8

Harry Randall: This was a harder afternoon than against Italy where he impressed so much, but the Bristol Bears scrum-half acquitted himself well. 7

Ellis Genge: England’s best forward on the day. Apart from his carrying and defence, he never stopped fighting. 8

Luke Cowan-Dickie: Limped off early in clear pain and had been tidy up until that point. 6

Kyle Sinckler: A 50th cap occasion that was notable for two conspicuous errors that put England under pressure. 6

Charlie Ewels: The Bath lock’s best performance for England and on this evidence he could develop into a regular starter. 7

Maro Itoje: Stopped Taulupe Faletau during a key stage of the second-half and was towering in defence. 7

Courtney Lawes: Tried with success to inspire England at a time when they were in danger of crumbling. 7

Tom Curry: Gave it everything until he went off injured and his work rate was missed. 7

Alex Dombrandt: Took his second-half try brilliantly and helped Genge and England in holding Wales off. 8

Replacements: England rose to the occasion when Wales hit back and the bench played their part. Ben Youngs came on to become England men’s most capped player. 6

Wales

Liam Williams: Received a yellow card in the first half and struggled to make his presence felt as an attacking force. 6

Alex Cuthbert: Marked his 50th Wales cap with a strong display, carrying powerfully and making considerable ground. A superb performance. 9

Owen Watkin: Made an uncertain start, then required treatment for a head cut before re-joining the action. Solid, rather than spectacular. 6

Nick Tompkins: Mixed and matched his game impressively, kicking well, tackling hard and always looking for space. Quality display. 7

Josh Adams: Back in the starting line-up after injury, he scored his 18th Wales try and was key as his team fought back in the second half. 8

Dan Biggar: Kicked two conversions, and while he will be disappointed with Wales’ first-half display, the second 40 minutes was far better. 7

Tomos Williams: Wales’ attacking catalyst in the second period, he was at the heart of a ferocious comeback and created Adams’ try with a brilliant pass. 7

Wyn Jones: Wales were made to work hard in the scrums and it remains a work-on area for the players and coaching staff. 6

Ryan Elias: Made a glaring error for England’s opening try, throwing lineout ball straight to Dombrandt. Disappointing. 5

Tomas Francis: Had his work cut out opposite England loosehead Genge, but kept working away. 6

Wales worked hard for their points and produced a much stronger second half

Will Rowlands: A tireless shift in defence and loose play, but Wales’ lineout malfunctioned at times. 7

Adam Beard: Wales’ vice-captain put in a strong shift alongside second-row partner Rowlands, yet he knows the lineout needs work. 6

Ross Moriarty: Gave away a couple of penalties, yet he was an aggressive presence for Wales in tight and loose exchanges. 7

Taine Basham: Went toe-to-toe with a powerful England back-row, and he continues to make rapid strides in the Test arena. 7

Taulupe Faletau: A remarkable performance in his first Wales appearance for 11 months and only his third game for club country since last summer. Ran hard and tackled hard. 8

Replacements: The Welsh replacements made a strong collective effort during a second-half revival, led by try-scorer Kieran Hardy. 7