Wales
15 Leigh Halfpenny 7/10 From his first successful penalty the Toulon full-back rarely put a foot wrong and was quick to punish any English indiscretions
14 Alex Cuthbert 6 Rarely got his hands on the ball and his duel with Jonny May never really happened. Shown a yellow card after the break
13 Jonathan Davies 6 Early tackle let Luther Burrell know he was around and was an important figure in the Welsh defensive effort. Very sound display
12 Jamie Roberts 6 Had the better of Burrell when the pair met in European club competition last month but not quite at his best here. One thunderous run
11 George North 6 Have been criticisms of his workrate but was brave enough in the first half after he needed a concussion check. Returned to play a key role
10 Dan Biggar 7 Clash of heads made it a painful start but once he was bandaged up his tactical kicking was astute and the drop goal was terrific
9 Rhys Webb 6 Justified his selection ahead of Mike Phillips. Has a great understanding with fellow Osprey Biggar and his early try was crucial
1 Gethin Jenkins 6 Sent to the sin-bin in this fixture last year, the experienced prop, winning his 111th cap, had a happier game against the returning Dan Cole
2 Richard Hibbard 6 Made crucial tackles but lineout throws were not great and found Dylan Hartley a handful. Struggled against the English scrummagers
3 Samson Lee 5 Replacing the legend Adam Jones with a man called Samson was wise by Warren Gatland but it was a difficult evening for the Scarlets prop
4 Jake Ball 6 The England-born lock had little chance to show his power as a ball-carrier but is building a good partnership with Alun Wyn Jones
5 Alun Wyn Jones 6 Has more caps than the other three locks in the starting lineups put together and his experience was crucial in defence
6 Dan Lydiate 6 Made some important tackles and good carries. A hard-working and typically unobtrusive display in an outstanding back row
7 Sam Warburton 6 Battle at the breakdown with Chris Robshaw was always going to be crucial and Wales’s captain made a couple of vital turnovers
8 Taulupe Faletau 5 Played a key role in Rhys Webb’s try but was generally outshone by his cousin Billy Vunipola. Not his most influential game
Replacements
Paul James (for Jenkins, 60min). Steadied the Welsh scrum and may start against Scotland, 6; Luke Charteris (for Ball, 69). Forced into defensive duties after entering the fray, 5; Aaron Jarvis (for Lee, 72) Had little chance to turn the white tide, 5; Mike Phillips (for Webb, 69). Looked sharp but Webb will keep his place, 5.
England
15 Mike Brown 6 Made some typical elusive runs and played a key part for Anthony Watson to score his try. Coped well with the aerial bombardment
14 Anthony Watson 7 Took his chance to score his first try for England and was very impressive as an attacker and a defender. A class act
13 Jonathan Joseph 7 Has been in brilliant form all season and broke the shackles of the Welsh defence to score a marvellous try
12 Luther Burrell 6 Played a vital role in the Watson try. Forged a pretty good understanding with his new centre partner Joseph. Impressive
11 Jonny May 5 Not until after the break did May get his hands on the ball and had no chance to repeat that wonder try against the All Blacks
10 George Ford 8 Could he cope with Wales’s back-line behemoths? Yes he could and more. Varied his kicking game well and generally outstanding
9 Ben Youngs 7 Now picked ahead of Danny Care, he justified his selection with a smart kicking game and some nice sniping runs
1 Joe Marler 7 The Harlequins captain had a fine autumn and performed strongly again to underline that he is not just keeping Alex Corbisiero’s seat warm
2 Dylan Hartley 6 There may be questions about his temperament but none against his ability and heart. After a wayward early throw his lineout play improved
3 Dan Cole 6 Showed his scrummaging power and played well for an hour. Should keep his place against the powerful Italian scrummagers
4 Dave Attwood 6 At the heart of some strong drives and played a major role in a mighty scrummaging display by the English pack
5 George Kruis 6 The young Saracen, making his Six Nations debut, continues to build on the promise of his autumn replacement performances
6 James Haskell 7 The Premiership’s in-form back-rower was caught out for the Wales try but excelled in a commanding pack and was unlucky not to cap it all with a try
7 Chris Robshaw 6 England’s captain may have been reluctant to lead his side on to the pitch but once things hotted up he was as influential as ever
8 Billy Vunipola 8 Put indifferent form behind him and made some terrific charges and important tackles. This was his best display in an England shirt
Replacements
Tom Youngs (for Hartley, 55). Played well but taking Hartley off early made little sense, 6; Mako Vunipola (for Marler, 55). Made some strong carries to keep Wales on the back foot, 6; Kieran Brookes (for Cole, 61) Good strong scrummaging display for half an hour, 6; Nick Easter (for Kruis, 72). Unlucky to be penalised for the Attwood try that wasn’t 5; Richard Wigglesworth (for Ben Youngs, 69) Looked sharp and perked up the English backline, 6; Billy Twelvetrees (for Burrell, 75). An outstanding five minutes, his work over the ball leading to the final Ford penalty, 7.
