7. Sam Underhill – 6.5
Hitting hard in defence, but didn’t offer his best on the offensive side of the ball. Underhill did an impressive job of leading Roots through his first England game, to the extent that the debutant excelled past Underhill from a performance perspective. A solid engine, he emptied the tank for Chandler Cunningham-South to make his mark.
8. Ben Earl – 7.5
England’s most consistent option to put them on the front foot, Ben Earl racked up a total of 14 carries to keep his side moving forward. The Saracen has settled in nicely to his role at the back of the pack, and was a key motivator for England’s win, which came tougher than most would have expected.
Replacements
16. Theo Dan – 5.5
Coming off the bench for his Saracens mentor and now England captain Jamie George, Theo Dan was tasked to empty the tank in the match’s closing moments. No drastic errors to report, yet the hooker did not bring the immediate tempo lifting spark from the bench.
17. Beno Obano – 5.5
A similar case for Beno Obano, in relation to Theo Dan’s performance. Obano was a late call-up for the England game, as he filled in for Ellis Genge following a late foot injury. Obano had to follow Joe Marler’s strong performance, yet provided a solid base for the match’s closing set-pieces.
18. Dan Cole – 6.75
The veteran tight-head came off the bench for Will Stuart, and presented real argument for a return to the starting line-up.
19. Alex Coles – 6
A solid all-round shift after replacing Chessum in the second half. A strong work rate saw him consistently hit the rucks, and he did not miss a beat at the set-piece.
20. Chandler Cunningham-South – 7.5
The top performer from Borthwick’s debuting replacements, and second only to Ethan Roots for the uncapped players who excelled against Italy. The personification of maximising your minutes, Cunningham-South was on the pitch for a brief run towards the end of the game, yet contributed key moments in defence to piece together a mini highlight reel.
21. Danny Care – 6
A solid outing from the scrum half, who’s experience spoke volumes to see out the victory in the match’s closing moments.
22. Fin Smith – 6.5
The Northampton fly half linked well with Alex Mitchell, and then turned up well with a first time partnership alongside Danny Care.
23. Immanuel Feyi-Waboso – N/a
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QUIZ: Can You Name Every England Six Nations Captain (2000 – 2024)
The Six Nations are back this weekend, and England begin their competition with an away trip to Italy. Head coach Steve Borthwick has selected a new captain for the tournament, can you name him, and 19 other players that have lead the team since the year 2000?
You have five minutes, and your time starts now!