Alex Dombrandt had his best match for England while Wales’s Taine Basham was outgunned at the breakdown
England
15 Freddie Steward Picked up from where he left off here in the autumn and swept up in the back field with real authority. 8
14 Max Malins: Tried to link with Smith, as he did so impressively against Italy, and had a few weaving runs down his right wing. 7
13 Henry Slade: Always looking to make something happen when in possession and came up with a classy kick for 50:22. 7
12 Elliot Daly: Confirmed as Manu Tuilagi’s replacement just before kick-off so there can be few complaints with his showing. 6
11 Jack Nowell: Constantly looking for work off his wing and though not much space in which to work he showed his defensive qualities. 7
10 Marcus Smith: A couple of goosesteps to get the crowd on their feet and a lovely dummy to beat Beard. Missed one clear kick. 8
9 Harry Randall: Wasn’t able to inject tempo that often, such was the stop-start nature of the match, but always a threat when he could. 7
1 Ellis Genge: Part of a front-row that struggled at the scrum but made countless dominant tackles. Kept his composure. 9
2 Luke Cowan-Dickie: Began brightly and was a menace at the breakdown, even if his lineout throwing was not perfect. 6
3 Kyle Sinckler: Led the team out on his 50th appearance and made some early dents with ball in hand but he was twice penalised. 6
4 Charlie Ewels: So close to scoring the opening try but can be pleased with his day’s work nonetheless. 7
5 Maro Itoje: England’s maul continues to develop into a significant weapon and Itoje plays a large part in that. 8
6 Courtney Lawes: (capt) Performed as if he’d never been away, making fierce tackles and his presence felt at the breakdown. 7
7 Tom Curry: Thundered into Liam Williams early on and teamed up with Lawes to drive Basham backwards. 7
8 Alex Dombrandt: Best performance in an England jersey by some distance, growing into the match as it wore on. 9
REPLACEMENTS
Jamie George (for Cowan-Dickie, 25) Assured 7; Joe Marler (for Genge, 72) Key tackle 7; Will Stuart (for Sinckler, 72) N/A; Nick Isiekwe (for Ewels, 69) Won important penalty 7; Sam Simmonds (for Curry, ht) On periphery 6; Ben Youngs (for Randall, 61) Record-breaking cameo 7; Joe Marchant (for Daly, 74) N/A
Wales
15 Liam Williams: Did well to deny Ewels but earned a silly yellow card moments later. Commanding in the air, dangerous on the counter. 8
14 Alex Cuthbert: Threat with ball in hand and made one piercing run, but all too often failed to find teammates in space. 8
13 Owen Watkin: Good chase to put Daly under pressure before a brief spell off the field with a head injury, after which he largely fed off scraps. 6
12 Nick Tompkins: Largely limited to carries in heavy traffic but his try was reward for his determination. One of Wales’ best performers. 8
11 Josh Adams: Relatively quiet during the first half but has a nose for the tryline and finally got Wales on the board. 7
10 Dan Biggar (capt) Constantly in the referee’s ear. Handling wasn’t perfect but his tenacity kept Wales in the fight. Kept battling to the final whistle. 7
9 Tomos Williams: Looked to up the pace with quickly-taken kicks which kept England’s defence honest. Denied an early try by referee. 7
1 Wyn Jones: Had Sinckler’s number at the scrum but failed to make much of an impression in open play. Withdrawn early in second half. 7
2 Ryan Elias Horrible: throw near England’s line ended a spell of Wales pressure and gave a penalty away soon after. Not a day to remember. 4
3 Tomas Francis: Off midway through the first half with a head injury and it was a surprise to see him return. Made his mark at scrum-time. 6
4 Will Rowlands: Made his presence felt at the lineout and did not shy away from the dirty work but was quiet on the whole. 6
5 Adam Beard: Gave away early penalty amid frantic start but settled into the match. Did his best to make up for Alun Wyn Jones’ absence. 7
6 Ross Moriarty Discipline let him down in first half. Kept plugging away but not as big a contribution as he has made in this fixture before. 5
7 Taine Basham Outgunned at the breakdown and gave away multiple penalties. Clearly has a bright future but this was not his day. 4
8 Taulupe Faletau Incredible second-half display even without factoring in how long he’s been sidelined. The spearhead of Wales’s fightback. 9
REPLACEMENTS
Gareth Thomas (for Jones, 45) Butchered overlap 3; Leon Brown (for Francis, 56) Got stuck in 6; Jac Morgan (for Basham, 56) Little influence 5; Jonathan Davies (for Watkin, 69) Robust 6; Kieran Hardy (for T Williams, 69) Well-taken try 7; Dewi Lake (for Elias, 68) N/A; Seb Davies (for Moriarty, 70) N/A; Gareth Anscombe (for L Williams 73) N/A
