Mail Online brutally ranks England’s FIVE worst performers in the Six Nations

Monday, 16 March 2026 at 19:41

bySteven Smith

England’s 2026 Six Nations campaign featured plenty of scrutiny as performances fluctuated throughout the tournament.

Following the championship, Mail Online released its player ratings, with only five England players receiving a score below 5/10.

Several of those low ratings were influenced by injuries, limited appearances, or difficult matches against strong opposition. Below is a closer look at those players — alongside RUCK’s own verdict on their tournaments.

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Tom Curry – 4/10

Mail Online:
"Played very well on last summer’s Lions tour despite nursing a serious wrist injury. It all caught up with him in this year’s championship. Nowhere near his best, in and out of the side, and then suffered a calf problem in the warm-up to the Italy game. Like Itoje, he also badly, badly needs a rest."

RUCK Verdict:
Curry was injured against Italy and otherwise produced a fairly average tournament by his usual high standards. Fitness issues clearly impacted his ability to influence games consistently.

Ollie Lawrence – 3/10

Mail Online:
"Struggles with a knee injury meant that his only appearance came against Ireland and England were cut to ribbons defensively in the outside channels in that game. He’s far better than he showed in this championship."

RUCK Verdict:
Lawrence appeared only against Ireland. He played tidily but had limited opportunity to make a larger impact on the game.

Luke Cowan-Dickie – 3/10

Mail Online:
"Replaced after just 29 minutes against Ireland as he couldn’t find a lineout jumper with his throws for love nor money, but he’s the type of character to brush off setbacks. The reality is England don’t have better hooking options than him and George right now, even if Theo Dan must surely come through at some point."

RUCK Verdict:
Cowan-Dickie endured a difficult afternoon against Ireland where England’s lineout malfunctioned early. However, his overall contribution and experience still make him an important part of England’s current hooking options.

Fraser Dingwall – 4/10

Mail Online:
"The Northampton man had enjoyed a good autumn and deserved to start the campaign as England's No 12.

But Borthwick will finish the tournament with question marks over who should be wearing the shirt. Dingwall is another one who disappeared after Ireland and may struggle to retain his place amid competition from Seb Atkinson and Max Ojomoh."

RUCK Verdict:
Dingwall offers distribution as an additional playmaker in midfield but rarely threatens the gainline consistently. This reflects England’s tactical setup as much as it does individual performance.

Freddie Steward – 4/10

Mail Online:
"Started the tournament but like others, he paid the price for the Scotland and Ireland defeats and was nowhere to be seen in the final two rounds. Substituted before half-time against the Irish as England began woefully again. It was bizarre that George Furbank didn’t get a minute at full-back, as he has to be first choice in that position."

RUCK Verdict:
Steward endured one of the tournament’s lowest moments against Ireland, receiving a red card and leaving the field after 30 minutes. While it was a difficult outing, the incident highlighted areas for improvement rather than making him a scapegoat for England’s struggles.