RED ROSE RATINGS – ITALY 15 – 46 ENGLAND
RED ROSE RATINGS – ITALY 15 – 46 ENGLAND
Date: 4th
February 2018
Location:
Stadio Olimpico, Rome, Italy
Referee:
Mathieu Raynal (France)
Attendance:
61,464
England, the much-fancied favourites, got their Natwest Six
Nations campaign off to the perfect start with a bonus-point victory against
the Italians in Rome. Here are my ratings for the English starters and prominent
‘finishers’.
15 – Mike Brown (Harlequins) – 6
Didn’t get off to the best of
starts as he looked unsure and unreliable under the high ball, showed a marked improvement
in confidence when he did make his first catch. Gave away a couple of avoidable
penalties but this is part and parcel of Brown’s very enthusiastic and
committed game.
14 – Anthony Watson (Bath) – 8
Scored two well taken tries and
came close to a third. His second was a brilliant display of what Watson is
capable of with ball in hand and if he’s given the smallest of openings. Quieter
second half but had already proven his worth as an attacking winger.
13 – Ben Te’o (Worcester Warriors) – 6
Would be hard to score him any
higher as he caused very little physical problems for the Italians despite the
big build up. Put in a solid shift considering his recent injury woes and it
was clear that he was drawing plenty of Italian attention when the ball did
come his way. Just a shame we didn’t see much of his barnstorming ball
carrying.
12 – Owen Farrell (Saracens) – 8
Kicking wasn’t quite up to his
usual standards from the tee but the much talked about Farrell-Ford combo was
in full effect ripping the Italian defence to shreds on a couple of occasions. Deserved
his try for a masterful midfield performance.
11 - Johnny May
(Leicester Tigers) – 6
Jumped out the line and allowed
Benvenuti to score in the corner and looked a little shaky in defence but was
making up for his mistakes with his signature mazy runs at the other end. Played
a role in Watson’s success but was ultimately overshadowed by his opposite
number.
10 – George Ford (Leicester Tigers) – 8
Brilliant attacking play as he
pulled the strings for England. Helped
put together a series of tries and scored one himself. His performance with
Farrell the perfect example of how team chemistry and co-operation is so key to
success.
9 – Ben Youngs (Leicester Tigers) – N/A
Went off
injured after ten minutes with a very serious looking injury.
1 – Mako Vunipola (Saracens) – 7
Scrummaged brilliantly and held his
own but I would have expected this against Italy. Continued to impress around
the field and with his hands, a personal highlight a lovely offload just before
Farrell went over for England.
2 – Dylan Hartley (Northampton Saints) – 7
Fairly quiet in open play and the
scrums which isn’t necessarily a bad thing especially considering the scrutiny
he has received recently playing in club colours. Must be commended for
ensuring a fluid lineout and hitting his target every time.
3 – Dan Cole (Leicester Tigers) – 7
Similar performance to Vunipola,
strong in the scrum and worked hard in the loose. Special mention must be given
for the fact he didn’t give away a single penalty.
4 – Joe Launchbury (Wasps) – 7
Never tired despite getting
through a mountain of work especially at the start of the contest. Perfect at
the set-piece and his enthusiasm and intensity helped England through when the
Italians remained a threat.
5 – Maro Itoje (Saracens) – 6
Gave away more penalties than he
would have liked and wasn’t the awe-inspiring presence he can be at his best.
Like Launchbury solid at the lineout and a nuisance at times in defence - when
he wasn’t being penalised.
6 – Courtney Lawes (Northampton Saints) – 7
 |
| Sam Simmonds was immense during England's Win (Photo: Getty) |
7 – Chris Robshaw (Harlequins) – 7
All about the defence for Robshaw
this week as he was at the heart of the English defence chopping down anything in
a blue shirt.
8 – Sam Simmonds (Exeter Chiefs) – 9
A man of the match performance
from the Chiefs star. Scored two tries which showcased his pace perfectly and
didn’t shirk from the hard work in defence. Top all of that off with a delightful
assist to teammate Jack Nowell and you’re left with one very talented individual.
Could give Billy a run for his money although Wales next weekend is a much
different task.
SUBS:
Jamie George (Saracens) – 6
Alec Hepburn (Exeter Chiefs) – N/A
Harry Williams (Exeter Chiefs) – 6
George Kruis (Saracens) – 6
Sam Underhill (Bath) – N/A
Danny Care (Harlequins) – 7
Johnathan Joseph (Bath) – 6
Jack Nowell (Exeter Chiefs) – 7
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