England secured a thrilling 26-25 victory over France in a gripping Six Nations clash at Twickenham. Tom Curry and Fin Smith played pivotal roles for the hosts, while Peato Mauvaka struggled in a disappointing outing for Les Bleus. Here’s a breakdown of the player performances from both sides.
Contents
England Player Ratings
Backs
- Marcus Smith – 6Had a stroke of luck after being stripped by Bielle-Biarrey. His missed kicks were costly, but he remained a creative spark.
- Tommy Freeman – 8Conceded a silly penalty while chasing a box kick but redeemed himself with the crucial pass for Lawrence’s try. Finished his try impressively.
- Ollie Lawrence – 7Forced a turnover after Boudehent was isolated. Executed a straightforward finish at a crucial moment for England.
- Henry Slade – 7Missed touch with an early penalty but recovered well, making a key tackle on Ramos. Led the defensive line effectively.
- Ollie Sleightholme—7 showed promise with a break down the right and has demonstrated solid defensive improvements since the autumn.
- Fin Smith – 9 Outstanding defensively and delivered a pinpoint kick to Freeman. Taking over kicking duties was both symbolic and significant in his first start.
- Alex Mitchell – 8Kicked effectively and kept England’s tempo high. When he’s in rhythm, England looks far more dangerous.
Forwards
- Ellis Genge – 7Conceded a penalty for offside but held his own against Antonio in the scrum. His ball-carrying impact has diminished slightly.
- Luke Cowan-Dickie – 6 brought aggression to England’s defense with low tackles but had a few shaky lineout moments.
- Will Stuart – 7 Scrummaged well and showed some mobility in open play—a reliable and growing presence in the pack.
- Maro Itoje (captain) – 8Lacked his usual game-changing moments but deserves immense credit for leading England to victory.
- George Martin – 6 Struggled with a key lineout mistake when England was in a strong position. Put in a hard-working shift but lacked game-changing impact.
- Tom Curry – 9A classic performance from the flanker. They secured an early breakdown penalty to relieve French pressure and were relentless throughout.
- Ben Earl – 9 worked well with Smith and finished his try under pressure. Won a vital penalty in the dying moments.
- Tom Willis – 8Made crucial carries through contact, tackled aggressively, and won a turnover at a key moment.
Replacements
- Jamie George (for Cowan-Dickie, 62′) – Made a significant impact – 8
- Fin Baxter (for Genge, 52′) – Scored a well-taken try – 7
- Joe Heyes (for Stuart, 59′) – Solid in the scrum – 6
- Ollie Chessum (for Martin, 62′) – Brought intensity – 7
- Ben Curry (for Willis, 53′) – Energetic and disruptive – 7
- Elliot Daly (for Slade, 76′) – Took his try well – 7
France Player Ratings
Backs
- Thomas Ramos – 5Struggled with handling and failed to impose himself. He maintained composure but will be disappointed with his display.
- Damian Penaud – 6 lost possession near the try line. He tends to drift in and out of games, but England kept him contained.
- Pierre-Louis Barassi – 7A mixed game—made some substantial breaks but delivered a poor pass to Bielle-Biarrey early on.
- Yoram Moefana – 6Tried to exploit Fin Smith’s defensive channel but found little success.
- Louis Bielle-Biarrey – 7Scored two opportunistic tries but made some questionable kicking decisions. He rarely had space to use his pace.
- Matthieu Jalibert – 7 kept things simple for much of the game but displayed class in the final stages.
- Antoine Dupont (captain) – 6 showed glimpses of brilliance but didn’t produce the fireworks many had expected.
Forwards
- Jean-Baptiste Gros – 6Recovered well after Mitchell’s threatening grubber. I matched Stuart in the scrum.
- Peato Mauvaka – 4 made a poor decision with an inside pass and dropped the ball with the try line in sight. A night to forget.
- Uini Atonio – 6 demonstrated good handling skills for a prop. Battled evenly with Genge in the scrum.
- Alexandre Roumat – 5Disrupted England’s lineout but had multiple handling errors.
- Emmanuel Meafou – 6A physical presence but struggled to make his usual impact in mauls.
- François Cros – 6Landed an early big hit on Martin and carried well, but underperformed given pre-match expectations.
- Paul Boudehent – 5Part of a back row that was outplayed. France sorely missed Charles Ollivon’s leadership.
- Grégory Alldritt – 6 Blocked Fin Smith’s kick early on but failed to dictate play as he usually does. Too often, I ran into dead ends.
Replacements
- Julien Marchand (for Mauvaka, 57′) – Limited impact – 6
- Cyril Baille (for Gros, 57′) – Brought strong carries – 7
- Georges-Henri Colombe (for Antonio, 57′) – Worked hard – 6
- Hugo Auradou (for Roumat, 50′) – Stood out with key contributions – 7
- Mickaël Guillard (for Meafou, 66′) – Solid – 6
- Oscar Jegou (for Boudehent, 50′) – Provided energy – 7
- Nolann Le Garrec (for Jalibert, 66′) – Looked lively – 6
England’s victory was fueled by standout performances from Fin Smith and Tom Curry, while France struggled with handling errors and poor decision-making. While England showed grit and determination, France must regroup and address their shortcomings before their next Six Nations fixture.
