Wales
15 Leigh Halfpenny Still a reliable presence at the back but does not pose the same counterattacking threat with ball in hand that he once did. 6
14 Josh Adams A thorn in England’s side in the past but could not get into the game on this occasion before making way before the hour. 5
13 Mason Grady Showed some nice touches on debut, clearly not fazed by the occasion, but saw little of the ball when moved to the wing. 6
12 Joe Hawkins Made good ground with his hard running – one of few Welsh players to do so – and can be pleased with his efforts. 7
11 Louis Rees-Zammit Always trying to slip the leash and got the chance to stretch his legs with a try just 44 seconds into the second half. 7
10 Owen Williams Helter-skelter season, having lost his job at Worcester before being recalled by Wales. Showed up in glimpses after settling. 5
9 Tomos Williams Quick tap in the first half was not a great idea and box-kicking was inaccurate. Will come under pressure for his place. 4
1 Gareth Thomas Burst through the England defence during a period of ascendancy just before half-time but Wales could not capitalise. 6
2 Ken Owens (capt) One overthrown lineout but carried and tackled his heart out after a draining couple of weeks. A fine leader, even in defeat. 6
3 Tomas Francis Fascinating tussle with Genge at scrum time, giving a penalty away then winning one back. Let’s call it honours even. 6
4 Adam Beard Went the distance but not his most influential performance. Not solely his fault but Wales needed more gainline presence. 4
5 Alun Wyn Jones Was in the thick of things, stealing lineouts and so often a willing carrier. Doesn’t make the kind of dent he used to though. 6
6 Christ Tshiunza Not as much charging out wide as last time but one of Wales’s top tacklers and looks set for an extended run in the side. 6
7 Justin Tipuric Recalled to the side but was not enough of an attacking threat to convince it was the right decision. 5
8 Taulupe Faletau Began brightly with a charge down on Farrell but influence faded after that as it never really happened for him. 6
Replacements: Bradley Roberts (for Owens, 69) n/a; Rhys Carre (for Thomas, 56) One or two strong carries 6; Dillon Lewis (for Francis, 56) Rolled up his sleeves 5; Dafydd Jenkins (for Jones, 64) Quiet 5; Tommy Reffell (for Tshiunza, 64) n/a; Kieran Hardy (for T Williams, 69) n/a; Dan Biggar (for O Williams, 55) Kicked the leather off it 6; Nick Tompkins (for Adams, 55) Busy 6.
England
15 Freddie Steward Got through more than his fair share of defensive work. Aerial work excellent and an important tackle on Rees-Zammit. 9
14 Max Malins Always looking to come off his wing and link with Farrell and posed a threat as a result. At fault for Rees-Zammit’s try. 6
13 Henry Slade Could not influence proceedings in the way that he would have liked and was far from flawless in defence. 6
12 Ollie Lawrence Strong carry early on, albeit followed by a knock-on. Such an aggressive defender and got the try his performance deserved. 8
11 Anthony Watson Has a habit of scoring against Wales and took his try on his first start in nearly two years wonderfully well. A classy player. 7
10 Owen Farrell (capt) Charged down by Faletau early on but shrugged that off well. Goal-kicking was poor, not for the first time this championship. 5
9 Jack van Poortvliet A bit scrappy with ball in hand. Kicked at pretty much every opportunity but eventually exposed Wales under high ball. 6
1 Ellis Genge Huge tackle on Halfpenny and a good battle with Francis at the scrum. Tasked with a lot of carrying but is always willing. 7
2 Jamie George Gave a penalty away just after Watson’s try – the kind of thing coaches hate – but kept going back to the well. Solid lineout too. 7
3 Kyle Sinckler Showed nice hands in a rare foray into the Welsh 22 and scored a cathartic try after what happened in 2019. Strong defensively. 8
4 Maro Itoje Still not quite reaching the high standards he is capable of producing but made 20 tackles which is an impressive statistic. 7
5 Ollie Chessum Has made the transition to starting lock look seamless this championship and did not let anyone down here. 7
6 Lewis Ludlam Came up with a big turnover just before the interval in a key period where England held firm. Having a fine championship. 7
7 Jack Willis Trademark turnover on Faletau and celebrated in style. There’s a nice balance to this back-row and Willis certainly plays his part. 7
8 Alex Dombrandt A much-improved performance. Lovely pass for Watson’s try and a crucial turnover shortly before half-time. 8
Replacements: Mako Vunipola (for Genge, 55) Put himself about 7; Jack Walker (for George, 80) n/a; Dan Cole (for Sinckler, 65) Calming influence 6; Courtney Lawes (for Dombrandt, 69) Made a big difference 6; Ben Curry (for Willis, 60) n/a; Alex Mitchell (for Van Poortvliet, 73) Lively 7; Marcus Smith (for Farrell, 80) n/a; Henry Arundell (for Malins, 80) n/a.
