Wales
Leigh Halfpenny Dropped the first high kick that came his way and wasn’t great from the tee but never shies away from the challenge. 6/10
Josh Adams Fierce competitor in the air but no opportunity to repeat his try-scoring feat of 2019. Didn’t get a chance to stretch his legs. 5
Nick Tompkins Missed one tackle but on the whole he brings a reliability to the Wales defence, honed over the years at Saracens. 6
Johnny Williams Represented England at age‑grade level and played with a point to prove. Took try well and thundered into tackles. 8
Louis Rees-Zammit Nearly slipped past Watson down the left then denied the England wing what looked a certain try in his corner. 6
Dan Biggar Typically competitive. Charged down Slade and kicked ahead for Williams try. Rallied troops to keep Wales in with a sniff. 7
Lloyd Williams His first start for four years and looked a bit off the pace. Caught when the ball was out of the ruck at one point. 5
Wyn Jones Picked largely to add oomph to the scrum but Wales came off a clear second best. Conceded a penalty at breakdown. 5
Ryan Elias Made plenty of meaty tackles and ran a solid lineout. Coughed up one panicked knock-on, though. Little carrying impact. 5
Samson Lee Struggled badly at scrum time and was replaced just a few minutes into the second half. No impact in the loose, either. 4
Jake Ball Carried hard and got through plenty of work. Always rolls up his sleeves but came up against formidable opponents. 6
Alun Wyn Jones (capt) A 22nd match in a row against England for the captain, who kept his side in the fight when visitors might have pulled clear. 7
Shane Lewis-Hughes Part of a new-look back row, with Tipuric and Navidi among the absentees, but got stuck in and made his share of tackles. 6
James Botham Beefy by name and by nature given some of the hits he put in – one on Vunipola echoed round empty stadium. Bright future. 7
Taulupe Faletau Such a classy operator and so often makes the extra yard with his footwork. Relished the duel with old friend Billy Vunipola. 7
REPLACEMENTS Elliot Dee (for Elias, 48) Struggled for impact 5; Rhys Carré (for Jones, 70) n/a; Tomas Francis (for Lee, 43) Involved in afters 6; Will Rowlands (for Ball, 48) Rolled up his sleeves 6; Aaron Wainwright (for Lewis-Hughes, 55) 5; Rhys Webb (for L Williams, 48) Looked more assured 6; Callum Sheedy (for Halfpenny, 67) 6; Owen Watkin (for Tompkins, 74) n/a
England
Elliot Daly Jinked in midfield a couple of times but was targeted aerially in second half. Took a bang to his left foot but soldiered on. 7/10
Jonathan Joseph Managed to find space out wide in the first half with England a bit more willing to play but couldn’t slip the leash. 6
Henry Slade Charged down for opening try but made amends by finishing off England’s first score. Well shackled for the main part. 6
Owen Farrell (capt) Missed first two kicks at goal and took a little time to get used to playing at 12 again. Hasn’t been at his best this autumn. 7
Jonny May No fireworks but showed the less glamorous side of his game. Defended well - particularly under the high ball - worked hard. 6
George Ford Such a different proposition at fly-half. Ran with it on occasion and put more width on the ball. Kicking wasn’t great though. 6
Ben Youngs A few wayward kicks but provided club-mate Ford with decent service and looked to snipe more than against Ireland. 7
Mako Vunipola Has responded superbly to losing his place earlier in the year. Scored from close range and emptied the tank again. 8
Jamie George One of the more audible voices on the pitch and you couldn’t fault his lineout throwing. Tough tackler who sets the tone. 8
Kyle Sinckler Opponents did their best to get under his skin but he kept his composure and scrummaged well. Denied a try by Halfpenny. 7
Maro Itoje Showed soft hands to release Underhill and character during England’s sticky spell in the first half. Gave away a silly penalty. 7
Joe Launchbury An industrious performance. Enjoyed driving Alun Wyn Jones back a few metres, not so much the patronising pat on the head. 6
Tom Curry Came up with an important turnover just before half-time and a willing carrier. Came off for a HIA and did not return. 7
Sam Underhill nother hugely impressive performance, making inroads with ball in hand as well as his usual defensive effort. 9
Billy Vunipola England’s top tackler and made the most metres too. Looks in excellent shape and improving the more regularly he plays. 8
REPLACEMENTS Luke Cowan-Dickie (for George, 67) 6; Ellis Genge (for M Vunipola, 67) Involved in flare-up with Francis 6; Will Stuart (for Sinckler, 73) n/a; Jonny Hill (for Launchbury, 67) 6; Ben Earl (for Underhill, 74) n/a; Jack Willis (for Curry, 61) Trademark turnover 7; Dan Robson (for Youngs, 77) n/a; Anthony Watson (for Joseph, 52) Almost scored 7
