England player ratings vs All Blacks as Steve Borthwick’s men kicked off their Autumn Nations series with a narrow loss against New Zealand at the Allianz Stadium.
RUCK’s Autumn Nations Series coverage is proudly powered by the My Name’5 Doddie Foundation, dedicated to creating a world free of MND. Join the the fight against MND here.
It was a heartbreaking finale to England’s first match of the Autumn Nations Series, as a missed drop goal from George Ford handed the win to New Zealand in a truly dramatic ending at the Allianz Stadium.
England’s search for a home win against New Zealand goes on, with Scott Robertson’s side triumphant tonight by the skin of their teeth.
Scroll down for the England player ratings vs All Blacks.
England: 22
- Tries: Immanuel Feyi-Waboso(43′)
- Cons: Marcus Smith(04′, 12′, 30′, 59′), Ben Spencer(36′)
- Pens: Marcus Smith(45′)
All Blacks: 24
- Tries: Mark Tele’a (08′, 75′), Will Jordan(27′)
- Cons:
- Pens: Beauden Barrett (09′, 28′), Damian McKenzie(76′)
RUCK’s Player of the Match
Keys stats:
- Tackles: Ollie Lawrence – 22
- Missed tackles: Ben Earl – 4
- Carries: Ben Earl – 16
- Metres made: Marcus Smith – 78
- Defenders beaten: Immanuel Feyi-Waboso – 7
- Clean breaks: Immanuel Feyi-Waboso – 3
England player ratings vs All Blacks:
15. George Furbank – 7
Furbank always turns up when he wears the Red Rose on his chest to represent his country. He made a particular impact with his defence against the All Blacks in the first half, giving immense push back in the ruck. His game in the air wasn’t the best we have seen, but the future for this player is unknowable – much like the limit to his talent.
14. Immanuel Feyi-Waboso – 9
No doubt Feyi-Waboso has inspired a whole new generation of players in his short time playing for England, and tonight is no exception. Being quick on the line, and alway available for support led to him scoring Englands first and only Try of the game. His work ethic was second to none, even taking a solid tackle from Asafo Aumua, he always got back up and made an impact in the game.
13. Henry Slade – 6
Henry Slade has made a name for himself among the rugby community, both international and domestic. But something was lacking from the Outside Centre which stopped him making his mark on the game. His effort and ambition was there, but a bit more in attack would’ve made him a household name in today’s fixture.
12. Ollie Lawrence – 7.5
The Bath player has proven yet again why he deserves to be in the England Squad. Line Speed in the defence to get to the All Blacks and defend his nations side was there and it for sure shook the visitors concentration. The only thing missing was completion, whether that be from him personally or form support from the team is yet to be determined.
11. Tommy Freeman – 7
Tommy Freeman made his presence known more in the second half, stepping up in the defensive line. His kicking game has improved, and confidence has grown, taking it on himself to make the bigger kicks for the team.
10. Marcus Smith – 8
Marcus Smith is a sensational player, there’s no doubt. His penalty kicking is what got England within a fighting chance of within their first match of the Autumn Internationals. However, all of his drop goal attempts were unsuccessful, his cross field kicks weren’t hitting their marks, and most importantly, he kicked at times when the momentum was towards England to smash through defence and head for the goal line. Is Smith just kicking too much?
9. Ben Spencer – 7
Ben Spencer taking the position of Scrum Half today, a role which he has stepped into with great talent and effort. Every ruck he was there, playing the scrum as well as he could and keeping with the his opposite number, Cortez Ratima. The only factor which could be deemed an error was his talk with Referee Angus Cardner, something which should’ve been left to the Captain.
1. Ellis Genge – vice-captain – 6
Genge is one of the best props in the game. The New Zealand All Blacks made their mark through exploiting the English defence and Ellis Genge was slapped in the face with it, Will Jordan was simply too quick for Genge and left him in the dust to score a try by getting through the middle of the defence, something I know Genge will be angry with himself for.
2. Jamie George – captain – 6
Jamie George lead the men into battle with a biblical response to the New Zealand Haka, however, we didn’t hear, or see much of the George magic which we saw that earned him the right of captaincy. Being vocal a few times, nothing special was produced within his defence or attack today.
3. Will Stuart – 8
A highlight of the forwards pack today. Being dominant and creating turnovers in the first half, he controlled his side of the scrum which saw England being awarded penalties. His effort was inspiring to watch with physicality against the all blacks, and every time he was involved the visitors were made aware of his existence.
