England started their Six Nations campaign in style on Saturday with a commanding 48-7 win over Wales at Allianz Stadium, Twickenham.
Fly-half George Ford stood out with his man-of-the match performance, but who else excelled as England stormed to victory?
Here are ESPN’s player ratings from Saturday’s clash.
1. Ellis Genge – 7.5
Arguably lucky not to see a yellow card early on. Scrummed well but seemed to get himself in a couple of awkward positions.
2. Jamie George – 8
Handled the lineout well and, crucially given the nature of the game, dealt with referee Pierre Brousset very professionally. In the best way, he was a constant nuisance for his Welsh counterparts.
3. Joe Heyes – 7.5
Some strong ball-carrying. Was well-involved all game and made a couple of good runs.
4. Alex Coles – 7
Complimented Chessum well and made several important tackles. He just works all day. A strong showing as he filled the void left by Maro Itoje.
5. Ollie Chessum – 8
Such a huge physical presence for England. Made a few strong runs and crucial tackles on more than one occasion.
6. Guy Pepper – 8
Was constantly sniffing around for loose balls and performed well given he played all 80 minutes. Developing into a really important player for England.
7. Sam Underhill – 7.5
Strong at the breakdown. You know what you’re getting with Underhill and he always delivers.
8. Ben Earl – 8
A huge physical effort, he really put his body through the ringer and England benefited hugely because of it.
9. Alex Mitchell – 7.5
Played smart, made the most of the spaces when England had them and got his side in really good positions.
10. George Ford – 9
A kicking clinic. Put the Welsh back three under pressure all night. He varied his kicks nicely too and orchestrated a huge win beautifully.
11. Henry Arundell – 8.5
Three of the easier international tries he will score but showed his pace and class whenever he had the ball. Good to see him back amongst the tries.
12. Fraser Dingwall – 7.5
Complimented the slightly more involved Freeman well and defended strongly. Solid all round again.
13. Tommy Freeman – 8
Worked hard all night, made a few good runs getting England on the front foot. Got a well deserved try at the end.
14. Tom Roebuck – 7.5
Fairly quiet but finished his try nicely. Performed well given the late call-up.
15. Freddie Steward – 8
Dealt with the high ball well. Made a few good runs from deep to get their attack moving.
Replacements:
Luke Cowan-Dickie: 7.5
Bevan Rodd: 7
Trevor Davison: 7.5
Maro Itoje: 6.5
Tom Curry: 6.5
Henry Pollock: 8
Ben Spencer: 7
Marcus Smith: 7.5
