Liam Williams handed brutal player rating by Mike Brown after 'missed opportunity'
Rugby NewsSaturday, 07 August 2021 at 21:46
A look through Mike Brown's player ratings from the British and Irish Lions agonising defeat in the series decider against South Africa as Morne Steyn's late penalty sealed a 19-16 victory.
The 37-year-old landed the kick that decided the 2009 series and proved little had changed as he put the Springboks ahead with two minutes left.
You can read his detailed player ratings for the Mail Online by clicking here.
Below we've had a look at the Newcastle and England fullback's scores and compared them to ourselves - as well as a several other prominent rugby publishers. Do you think he was spot on?
Other Publishers Used:
MIKE BROWNS' PLAYER RATINGS
BACK-THREE:
- 15. Liam Williams (Wales) - 6
- 14. Josh Adams (Wales) - 6.5
- 11. Duhan van de Merwe (Scotland) - 7
On Williams: "Missed a great opportunity not giving a two on one to Adams which was a certain try. No surprise he missed Kolbe for his try, given how good the winger’s feet are."
Other Publication Ratings:
- Telegraph: Williams 6, Adams 7, van de Merwe 7
- Rugby Pass: Williams 5, Adams 5.5, van de Merwe 6
- Joe: Williams 6, Adams 6, van de Merwe 7
- RUCK: Williams 3, Adams 6, van de Merwe 6.5
CENTRES:
- 13. Robbie Henshaw (Ireland) - 7
- 12. Bundee Aki (Ireland) - 6.5
On Henshaw: "Quietly went about his business, with six carries for 23 metres and five defenders beaten."
Other Publication Ratings:
- Telegraph: Henshaw 8, Aki 7
- Rugby Pass: Henshaw 7, Aki 6
- Joe: Henshaw 8, Aki 7
- RUCK: Henshaw 7, Aki 6.5
HALFBACKS:
- 10. Dan Biggar (Wales) - 6
- 9. Ali Price (Scotland) - 8
On Price: "Justified his selection. Definitely quicker at breakdown than Conor Murray last week."
- Telegraph: Biggar N/A, Price 7
- Rugby Pass: Biggar N/A, Price 5.5
- Joe: Biggar 5, Price 6
- RUCK: Biggar 5, Price 7
FRONT-ROW:
- 1. Wyn Jones (Wales) - 7.5
- 2. Ken Owens (Wales) - 7.5
- 3. Tadhg Furlong (Ireland) - 7.5
On Furlong: "The scrum was the best it has been in all the Tests in the first half with him at its heart. He did not concede a single penalty when he was on."
- Telegraph: Jones 6, Owens 7, Furlong 7
- Rugby Pass: Jones 7, Owens 7.5, Furlong 6
- Joe: Jones 6, Owens 7, Furlong 7
- RUCK: Jones 7, Owens 7.5, Furlong 7.5
SECOND-ROW:
- 4. Maro Itoje (England) - 8
- 5. Alun Wyn Jones (Wales) - 8
On Itoje: "Different game same world class outcome. He was the Lions’ player of the series, despite their defeat, consistently at the top of his game for all three Tests."
On Jones: " Led from the front working tirelessly in attack and defence. Big call to sub him for Beard."
- Telegraph: Itoje 8, Jones 7
- Rugby Pass: Itoje 6, Jones 5.5
- Joe: Itoje 8, Jones 7
- RUCK: Itoje 8, Jones 7
BACK-ROW:
- 6. Courtney Lawes (England) - 8
- 7. Tom Curry (England). - 6
- 8. Jack Conan (Ireland) - 7
- Telegraph: Lawes 7, Curry 6, Conan 7
- Rugby Pass: Lawes 6, Curry 4, Conan 6
- Joe: Lawes 7, Curry 6, Conan 7
- RUCK: Lawes 7, Curry 5, Conan 6
Replacements: Cowan-Dickie 7, Vunipola, 7.5, Sinckler 7, Beard 6, Simmonds 6, Murray 6.5, Russell 9
EDITORS PICKS:
- Lions 2021: All 40 players ranked from the worst to best
- Alun Wyn Jones gives emotional post-match interview
- Lions player ratings vs South Africa: Third Test
- 3 best and 3 worst players for the Lions in the third test
- Nigel Owens ranks the three worst coaches to deal with
- Shaun Edwards leaves Martin Johnson out of his dream pack
- Five alterations McGeechan would make to Gatland’s Lions XV
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- Jordie Barrett over Damian de Allende is far from being correct. The hype around Dupont is also overreaching, he's probably 4th in the world and has been since the 2023 WC. He also avoids certain matchups which is strange. The rest of the list is pretty good apart from minor subjective biases.JasonMarlow16-09-2026
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