Referee Review: Wales fans unhappy with officials against England
Rugby NewsSaturday, 15 March 2025 at 20:13
Nic Berry took charge of the historically heated encounter of Wales vs England. In any tournament, this game holds a rivalry bigger than rugby but in the Six Nations it always feels the rivalry is amplified between the two nations.
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Despite the heavily one-sided scoreline, there was still plenty for Referee Nic Berry to comb through during the match.
Check out our review of the most contention decisions of Wales vs England in the 2025 Mens Guinness Six Nations.
1. Blair Murray Disallowed try.
Murray dotted down for Wales at a crucial time for Wales which would've got them back into the game just minutes after England took the lead.
The try came off the back of an aerial challenge which saw Murray pounce on a loose ball before racing to the try line. The call went to TMO and was overturned for an offside penalty against Tomos Williams and was met with uproar initially from the home crowd.
Ultimately a second look from either fanbase would come to the same conclusion that Berry followed the right process in going to TMO and ultimately came to the correct outcome.
2. Will Stuart's try build-up.
Will Stuart topped a fantastic couple of minutes with a try just before half time. The prop powered over from short range to close out a fantastic opening fourty minutes for the visitors.
Berry again went to his TMO Mike Adamson to check the build up for the try which saw Maro Itoje look as if he had knocked the ball on with the slightest of touches in the ruck right before Stuart scored.
TMO stepped in and reviewed the try which ultimately deemed Itoje not to have knocked the ball on despite the initial viewing in full speed giving a different story, but once again Berry followed the correct procedure and came too the correct decision of awarding the try.
3. Alex Mitchell's try build up
This call shocked most people in the stadium at first but on a second glance it actually gave a shocking yet brilliant viewing for fans.
The initial play seemed as if Elliot Daly had knocked the ball on for Mitchell to collect and score from. Berry correctly allowed the game to carry on and once the try was scored he again correctly reviewed using TMO.
What originally looked like a blatant knock-on turned out to be a moment of football skill from Daly as he headed the ball forward for Mitchell to poke through and pounce to score. Berry awarded the try correctly after the reviewe.
4.Berry's breakdown policing
The only side of Berry's officiating which wasn't the most consistent was his policing off the breakdown more specifically his timing of giving penalties for holding on.
It felt from an outsiders view that he wasn't sticking to the same time limit to award a penalty to the jackaling player. Now this is a common theme between referees with some quicker to award penalties but others he was more lenient towards the team in possession and allowing more time before awarding the penalty.
The issue with Berry's timing was he was leaning into both ends of the spectrum. On some occasions he was quick to call the penalty and seemed to favour the defending team but also on other occassions he was allowing more time before either calling the penalty or letting the game run.
Whilst this isn't an issue Berry would've laid down a greater precedent if he had just set out his policies from the start and kept them consistent throughout the match but apart from that Berry officiated the game really well.
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England player ratings vs Wales:
1. Ellis Genge – 8
Genge scrummaged his heart out during his hour on the field and schooled the Welsh front row at the set piece. In both attack and defence, he was like a wrecking ball, smashing his way into the home side. Another of the English pack who strengthened his case for a Lions jersey.
2. Luke Cowan-Dickie – 7
He stopped a certain try with a brilliant ankle tap on Blair Murray in the first half. His lineout throws kept England’s main attacking platform functioning smoothly, and overall, his set-piece work was outstanding.
3. Will Stuart – 8
Stuart was a huge thorn in the side of the Welsh front row in the first half. He absolutely dominated his opposite number at scrum time, giving Wales no chance at the put-in. He showed great determination for his try—not only to get over the line but to get into a good position in the first place.
4. Maro Itoje – 8
Itoje led from the front for the Red Roses. It all started with a thundering carry in the opening minutes to set the tone for the visitors. He was a constant threat to the Welsh lineout and disrupted it well. In attack, he ran with venom and matched that intensity in his defensive work.
5. Ollie Chessum – 5
Chessum was forced off just before the 20-minute mark due to injury. In that time, he didn’t make any notable errors but also didn’t have enough game time for a higher rating.
6. Tom Curry – 8
Tom Curry was relentless, working in tandem with his twin brother to grind down the Welsh attack. He put in a fantastic shift for the entirety of the game and never let his foot off the gas. He applied his size and power effectively in attack and, like his brother, will be causing Andy Farrell headaches for the Lions.
7. Ben Curry – 8.5
Ben Curry put in a monstrous shift against Wales and potentially played his way into Lions contention. He bullied Wales at the breakdown, delivered some rib-crunching tackles, and kept England on the front foot. A well-deserved Player of the Match performance.
8. Ben Earl – 7
Earl was surprisingly quiet in a game you’d expect to suit the athletic No. 8. Still, he punished the Welsh on a number of occasions and kept the English pack ticking over nicely.
Backs
9. Alex Mitchell – 7
Mitchell complemented his fly-half partner with a composed, controlling performance. His try was a result of his own hard work, summing up a day where he executed the basics to a high level.
10. Fin Smith – 7
Smith slotted 5/6 off the tee at the Principality Stadium and nearly set up a try with a great cross-field kick in the first half, which almost sent Marcus Smith over. Aside from that, he executed his core skills well and unlocked the Welsh defence with ease.
11. Elliot Daly – 6
Daly provided the most unusual assist of his career with a well-timed header to set up Mitchell’s try. Apart from that, it was a relatively quiet showing from the winger, who was surprisingly starved of opportunities with ball in hand.
12. Fraser Dingwall – 7
Dingwall was a great addition to the visitors attack with the centre offering a great option at second receiver to enable Smith to exploit Wales out wide. In defence he didn’t give up a yard and was more than convincing.
13. Tommy Freeman – 8
Freeman was fantastic in the 45 minutes he was on the field. Every time he touched the ball, it felt like he would find a gap in the Welsh defensive line. He deservedly grabbed a try and put in a wonderful all-round performance.
14. Tom Roebuck – 7
Roebuck was really exciting to watch every time he got the chance to attack. He carved Wales to pieces out wide and topped off a great try for his efforts.
15. Marcus Smith – 6
Marcus Smith was surprisingly lacklustre compared to his usual electric self. A few silly errors snuck into his game which didn’t impact England massively but didn’t cover himself in glory either.
Replacements
16. Jamie George – 6
17. Fin Baxter – 6
18. Joe Heyes – 7
19. Chandler Cunningham-South – 8
Put in a huge shift in the hour he came on and battered Wales to get his two tries.
20. Henry Pollock – 8
Two tries on debut is more than what Pollock would’ve expected but he looked brilliant when he came on.
21. Tom Willis – 7
22. Jack van Poortvliet – 6
23. George Ford – 6
Can you name every England Rugby captain of the professional era?
From the early days of professionalism to the modern era, England has seen a host of legendary captains wearing the armband.
Whether it's the grit of Will Carling in the 90s, the tactical brilliance of Martin Johnson, or the fearless leadership of Owen Farrell, this quiz will challenge even the most dedicated fans.
Think you can name them all? Grab your boots and let's see how well you know the men who led England into battle on the world stage!
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