George Furbank There were some great things – the break for Lawrence to try and the point he cleverly took – but there were also a mistake or two. 8
Relating to: Marcus Smith’s drop goal denied Ireland Six Nations title as England win thriller
Immanuel Feyi-Waboso He was impressive defensively and always looked to get out on his flanks. I haven’t been fully free, but not because I want to try. Key role in the final passage of the game. 7
Henry Slade I was in the mood here because of a performance. The cute puppet who gives the ball to Feyi-Waboso in space and directs the defensive line well. 8
ollie lawrence Someone else did well to try before being correctly rejected. Discipline needs to be improved, but it also brings with it a threat. 7
Tommy Freeman When England were able to get him into space he looked dangerous save for one or two naive moments. We will undoubtedly learn from these. 7
george ford England were at the heart of it most of the time when they got into gear, but it was a difficult day to kick on goal. He is under pressure for his place. 7
Alex Mitchell Welcome back to the team after injury and bringing pace to England’s attack. The jersey will be his for the foreseeable future. 9
Ellis Genge He is part of the more dominant front row and produced the most remarkable carrying half under Steve Borthwick in the opening 40 minutes. 8
Jamie George (captain) There was a line out issue or two but it cleared up nicely and appeared in the free well. He is widely admired for England’s visible improvement. 7
Dan Cole Ireland complained about his attack on the referee and may take it as a compliment. He continued his military service during the wars. 7
Maro Itoje His influence often increases in big games like this and he made his presence felt once again in the final quarter. 8
george martin England’s enforcer. He drew first blood with a great tackle in the battle with McCarthy, then attacked Beirne on the verge of half-time and made sure he knew it. 9
Ollie Chess He made a fierce tackle to force Aki into touch and did his job well in the lineout. We are becoming an important part of this side. 8
Sam Underhill Solid carrying and offloading to create space for Furbank’s tries and some tough tackles. Empty the tank every hour before setting off. 8
Ben Earl Another sterling performance. He showed off his great footwork time and time again and made a good attempt. The UK’s leading operator. 9
Replacements Theo Dan (for George, 54) 7; Joe Marler (for Genge, 54) 7; Will Stuart (for Cole, 54) 6; Chandler Cunningham-South (for Underhill, 61) 7; Alex Dombrandt (For Chess, 66) 6; Danny Care (for Mitchell, 66) 6; Marcus Smith (for Ford, 58) 8; Elliot Daly (for Slade, 66) 8
Ireland
Hugo Keenan Forced to play on the right wing following Nash’s withdrawal, he moved back to full-back when Frawley was substituted and struggled to influence things in the middle of the cut and change. 6
Calvin Nash He was injured six minutes later when he was at second best in a huge collision with Freeman in preparation for Lawrence’s try. 5
Robbie Henshaw A good smothering tackle on Slade earned Ireland a break but it was a relatively quiet game. Solid, if not outstanding. 5
Bundee Aki He explored Ford’s channel at every opportunity and made frequent yards. Also fatal during malfunction. He was outstanding at the World Cup and has maintained that form. 8
James Lowe The trusty left boot was as effective as ever and, after a quiet first half with the ball in hand, superbly executed his two tries early in the second. 8
Jack Crowley This is so composed for someone who is very new to the international order. England did not panic when on top and tastefully delayed the pass as Lowe prepared for his try. 8
Jamison Gibson-Park It’s an extremely reliable performer in this well-oiled machine, filling the wing flawlessly when called upon. Perfect pass for Lowe’s second try. 7
Andrew Porter A stupid penalty conceded to ruin a promising position and met its match on Cole in attack, but he always continues to get bogged down. 6
Dan Sheehan He endured some extraordinary vacillations and was unable to influence the proceedings from the outside as he often did. 5
Tadhg Furlong A quiet game by its high standards. He faced Genge in an imperious manner and could not make his impact felt during set pieces or with the ball in his hands. 5
Joe McCarthy He arrived with a burgeoning reputation and while he tackled well and looked occasionally dangerous in close quarters, England guided him well. 6
Tadhg Beirne He has pinned down a long squad in England and is always a threat. England did a good job of making sure he wasn’t as strong as he could have been. 6
Peter O’Mahony He was rightfully shown a yellow card for a cynical penalty and also had difficulties with the formation. A day to forget for the Ireland captain. 5
Josh van der Flier We made good progress early on in the middle section and continued that way. Excels at making yards through contact. He also won important penalties in the breakdown. 8
Caelan Doris Excellent defensive work as England attacked in the first half and scored a try from Lowe. Yet it cannot be the inexorable force of nature. 7
Replacements Rónan Kelleher (for Sheehan, 63) Rolled arms 6; Cian Healy (for Porter, 72) is out; Finlay Bealham (for Furlong, 62) absent; Iain Henderson (for McCarthy, 62) tackled 5 times; Ryan Baird (for O’Mahony, 69) 6; Jack Conan (for Van der Flier, 63) absent; Conor Murray (for Frawley, 50) 6; Kieran Frawley (for Nash, 6) 6