England Player Ratings versus Scotland

By Chris Chaplin
March 24 2003

At last England put together a passage of first rate play that lasted more than 20 minutes. So what contribution did the individual players make to this encouraging performance.

Jason Leonard was welcomed back having made a remarkably speedy recovery from the hamstring injury he sustained at the beginning of the competition. The improved solidity on his side of the scrum was notable as was his obvious pleasure and enthusiasm at being back. Life in the Old Dog yet! 7/10.

Steve Thompson had a first class game. Pretty much faultless in the set pieces with his throwing in to the line obviously having had some work to remedy this recurring flaw in his game. As dynamic as I’ve seen him in the loose and generally a good all round showing. 8/10

Graham Rowntree had one of the best games I’ve seen from him an England shirt. Rock solid in the scrum, a nuisance to the opposition in the close quarters stuff and vying with Thompson for the powerful runner in the loose award. Look pretty much back to his best. 7/10

Martin Johnson was another welcome returnee and how different the look and feel of the side is when he’s around. Slight wobbles are stilled. Opposition is subdued. Fault free in the line-out, fearsome in defence and had a higher profile in the loose than I am used to seeing at International level. Marked up for another World Class display of captaincy. 8/10

Ben Kay seemed to have shrugged off what ever it was that has been ailing him. Back to his poaching best in stealing the opposition balls and much more apparent in open play. Came off injured late on. Let’s hope he’s OK. 7/10

Neil Back produced another frustrating afternoon for those who keeping trying to write off this most tenacious of Tigers I think the word omnipresent best describes his performance. Ball on the floor - first one there? Neil Back. Danger around the fringes, crucial tackle made, by whom? Neil Back. Robinson heading for the line, who’s on his shoulder in support? Neil Back. Breakout from defence, who’s at fly-half getting the backs moving? Neil Back. Who gets little recognition from the pundits? Neil Back. But not from me! 9/10

Richard Hill revelled in his new found role as a first line jumper at the line out and added to his similar omnipresence, appearing at full-back, centre and in the tackle situations he added another fine display of his talents. Interestingly so many pundits say how unsung he is that it’s become something of an oxymoron. He was in fine form though. 9/10

Lawrence Dallaglio had a rather quiet game I thought. He was about but at the same time a bit detached from things. Almost as if the superlative performances from his back-row colleagues had somehow left him floundering in their wake and trying to catch up with what they were doing. Just OK then. 6/10

Matt Dawson was by turns brilliant, silly and selfish but mostly brilliant. He pretty much eclipsed Redpath, making him look an absolute mug when Ben Cohen scored (mind you Taylor should have picked the ball up not Redpath). His approach play for Robinson’s tries was nothing short of World Class but his overhead flick, which nearly put Scotland in unopposed, was something straight out of the Keystone Cops. I also thought he used the pick and run a bit too often and thereby blunted its and his edge and some off his passing was a little wayward. But I’m being mean to the Referee’s Assistant perhaps? - No I’m not. He was nearly perfect and but for unnecessary lapses could well have been. 8/10

Jonny Wilkinson was Deadeye Dick with his boot again but I was less enamoured of his other play. For some reason the old Wilko directness seems to have been replaced by that blight of the Premiership, Super 12 type lateral running, which he seemed to do a plenty. Still put in some fearsome tackling, although like our Fred some do look pretty borderline as far as their legality is concerned. I hope he’s going to be more direct against Ireland. 7/10

Mike Tindall continued to demonstrate that his game is becoming more rounded by the match. His defensive work is as good as ever but his attacking play, ability to hold the ball up and running lines are improving all the time. Not yet of star quality perhaps but will be an important component in the RWC machine. 7/10

Will Greenwood like a fine wine is getting better and better with age. He’s currently in a rich vein of form for England. His lines are superb. His strength in the tackle, whether on the giving or receiving end is remarkable and he must have eyes like a fly that can see through 360 degrees such is his vision and awareness of what’s going on around him. 9/10

Ben Cohen was somewhat eclipsed by his colleagues this time. Don’t get me wrong he played well, went looking for work, defended well and was razor sharp in getting his try after being wrongly denied at his first attempt, when referee Lewis got it wrong, (how can a player facing toward his own line and tapping the ball in front of him contrive to knock the ball on?) Perhaps not yet fully fit he looked a bit like Dallaglio in his demeanour. 6/10

Jason Robinson at last was allowed to play by the England management. Scoring two sublime tries, both interestingly enough when he’d moved into the centre following the departure of Tindall and arrival of Luger and this is not the first time he’s scored for England when in the centre of the attack. He does come off his wing anyway but his RL background still makes this alien to him. In the centre he has all the room he needs and with his eye for a gap and a line combined with his pace he’s simply lethal. Rather like teams playing against Jonah Lomu the opposition are always distracted by his presence when he’s in the front line attack and this is another benefit of his being further forward as he was on Saturday. Would have been a 9/10 but for his daft body check and subsequent binning. 8/10

Josh Lewsey after another fine game looks to have got his name pencilled in as the RWC full-back. His pace, while different in execution to Robinson’s, is none the less damaging for that. He comes into the line with great effect, look solid in defence and just needs to develop his awareness of what’s going on him around him to be a top class #15. 8/10

Replacements. Luger is just not right you know. When he came on he was pretty much invisible, which is so unlike the Luger we’ve come to know. Doesn’t look fit to me. Of the others? Well by the time they came on it was all over really.

Team Performance Much, much better. Obviously Johnno’s presence is key to the stability and direction of the team and the England pack in general were excellent, whether in the set pieces or in the loose. With Dallaglio firing it would be the best back-row in World rugby at present. Half -backs were good but Wilko is not at his absolute best yet. In the centre I guess we’re still in flux with Robinson being very much an option at 13 with Greenwood at his preferred 12. But if Robinson stays at 14 the England back three look exceptionally dangerous, with an on form Cohen and Robinson both World Class and Lewsey well on his way. 8/10

Man of The Match. Very very tricky. Back, Hill and Greenwood all had towering games. It’s Greenwood though, but only because it can‘t be shared.