Player Ratings: England

Yesterday at 03:10 PM

OPINION: Riveting contest and a riveting redemption for the English.

They looked set to be pipped at the post once more only to summon up the type of fighting spirit last decisively seen in the glorious March 2024 win at the death over Ireland.

The foundation for their magnificent 26-25 Six Nations upset was laid in them defiantly reaching the interval on parity.

Some incredible French handling errors had kept it tied at 0-0 until Louis Bielle-Biarrey finally broke the stalemate on 30 minutes, but this concession only ignited the hitherto blunt English attack and a converted Ollie Lawrence try left it delicately poised at 7-all heading down the tunnel.

A lack of second-half gas from the starters and inadequate bench impact had frequently been the undoing of Steve Borthwick's side in their run of seven losses in their nine most recent outings. Look at how last weekend's 10-5 interval lead in Dublin became a 10-27 trouncing before a couple of consolation tries massaged the margin of defeat.

However, the Rose didn't callowly wilt on this occasion. Instead, it inspired. Although Thomas Ramos kicked two penalties, England would have been ahead had Marcus Smith not shanked his attempted conversion after a superbly taken 58th-minute Tommy Freeman try.

Even after Damian Penaud struck for an unconverted try three minutes later to make it 12-18, they fought on only to initially go unrewarded with another Smith miss off the kicking tee. Their heads critically collectively stayed up, though, and Fin Baxter's try converted by Fin Smith had England 19-18 ahead with nine minutes remaining.

Of course, being England there were further dramatic twists to come. The Twickenham hosts looked out on their feet when struggling to chase back and defend against Bielle-Biarrey's 75th-minute try converted by Ramos for 19-25.

But they stuck at it, Ben Earl's breakdown penalty win inviting the attack from the resulting lineout that ended with sub Elliot Daly going in and Finn Smith converting to seal the success. Cue bedlam.

Here are the England ratings:

15. Marcus Smith – 7.5
Shunted to the backfield after eight successive starts at No.10, he wasn't Mr Ultra Reliable in defence but his attacking mentality to have a cut was crucial in England grittily staying in this fight. Missed two important second-half kicks off the tee but still wound up a deserved winner.

14. Tommy Freeman – 9
Started with a poor defensive read but was excellent from then on. His vital contribution in the air was encapsulated by the stylish way he climbed to fetch Fin Smith's kick and then finished for his 58th-minute try after landing.

13. Ollie Lawrence – 7
A standout last week in Ireland, he didn't feature here until a 28th-minute penalty win at a breakdown. Led the fightback at that particular time with a 36th-minute score that featured a meaty hand-off.

12. Henry Slade – 6
Endured some tricky moments, such as a missed first-half touch-finder with England under the pump and some missed tackles, but he kept battling with an attitude that kept him competing diligently across his 76 minutes.

11. Ollie Sleightholme – 6.5
Brought in for the injured Cadan Murley, he had the pluck to rough up Penaud early on after the ball had gone out of play. It took 19 minutes but he became the first English player to be on the ball inside the French 22. Continued fighting the good fight after.

10. Fin Smith – 9.5
A moment of truth for the rookie and he defiantly delivered in his first Test start. Encouraging in the tackle, he kicked too much in the first half but then found his groove – and accuracy – in the second with a more varied, inspiring approach. Gave kick and pass assists to Freeman and Daly, while also being dead-eyed off the kicking tee after taking over from the wayward Marcus Smith. He will surely now be England's No10 for a considerable time to come.

9. Alex Mitchell – 8.5
Was in no way cowered by the reputation of Antoine Dupont. Might have frustrated some fans with his over-zealous box-kicking but there was a method to his madness and it ultimately paid a rich dividend in that final attack when Earl won a crucial breakdown penalty. A first-half grubber kick also hurt the French, earning the scrum that led to Lawrence's try. His energy was vital to England's comeback.

1. Ellis Genge – 7
Gave up a couple of penalties, including the offside that gave France their first shot on 12 minutes which they missed. The ball was a stranger but he was a constant nuisance in the tackle and was out on his feet when departing on 53 minutes.

2. Luke Cowan-Dickie – 6
Played 62 minutes and can't be happy that the English lineout until that point was six from nine. This inaccuracy was evident elsewhere as well – see the way he knocked on early in the second half at a breakdown where he should have won turnover ball. Soldiered on, though, and his grit was important in keeping England physically ticking along.

3. Will Stuart – 6.5
Certainly wasn't on first-name terms with the ball, so elusive was it for him, but he delivered the nuts and bolts in his role for his 59 minutes. A scrum penalty win was early nourishment at a time when England could have folded in the face of growing French pressure.

4. Maro Itoje – 7
Seemed to drop down on his levels from last weekend. There was some s***housery when throwing Penaud's boot away in the opening half but England were 7-10 down in the second before we finally had a big moment from him, the winning of a penalty when getting in the ball at a French breakdown. That helped set the tone for his team battling to the finish.

5. George Martin – 7
Was very busy defensively in the first half but will be kicking himself that what should have been a straightforward 29th-minute lineout catch in French territory was lost and his team was behind their posts having conceded less than a minute later. Stuck at it and gave it everything in his 62 minutes.

6. Tom Curry – 9
England's best player in Ireland, he was fantastic to watch again with numerous interventions to douse French momentum. He even managed to rip possession from Dupont at one stage in the second half. Superb.

7. Ben Earl – 8.5
Finally picked to start in what most fans believe is his natural position, he was certainly more impactful than in Dublin seven days earlier. Was vibrant in the carry, an aspect that was badly missed in round one, and he was a delight to watch when winning the turnover penalty that put England in the corner for the decisive converted try.

8. Tom Willis – 8
Promoted from the bench for his first start, he was very easy on the eye and impressively topped his team's tackle count. Was also impactful on the ball. The concession of a penalty after getting isolated on a 52nd-minute carry was his last act as he exited two minutes later, but he did more than enough to ensure he will start again for England.

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