How they rated

ELLIOT DALY 7 V 6 LEIGH HALFPENNY

Daly showed a fair bit of gas in attack, claimed his try without too much fuss and halted Josh Navidi in full flight. On the debit side, there were missed tackles. England rained bombs down on Halfpenny and he took a fair number of them. But he was lurking without too much intent when England scored their second try. To his credit, he stuck at it.

ANTHONY WATSON 7 V 5 LIAM WILLIAMS

Watson made a flying start with a well-taken try after just four minutes. He also showed good line-speed in defence and ran nicely throughout. The challenge for Williams was to hit the ground running in a major game after four months on the sidelines. He gave it his best shot but lost the ball in one heavy tackle and struggled to make his usual impression.

MANU TUILAGI 6 V 8 NICK TOMPKINS

A red card ruined Tuilagi’s effort as he hit George North with a shoulder to the head which looked reckless. He had scored a try and had played well beforehand, but the no-arms business with North shouldn’t have happened. Tompkins was the best three-quarter on the field, triggering the enterprise that ended in Tipuric’s spectacular try. Some of his fleet-footed, rubber-ball carrying was outstanding.

OWEN FARRELL 7 V 5 HADLEIGH PARKES

As steamed up as a kettle with a rattling lid early on, Farrell could count himself lucky not to have received more than a lecture from the referee. But he came into the game with some lovely kicking and passing. Parkes started with kick to touch so agricultural it might have been sponsored by Farmfoods; also couldn’t take a high pass in a promising position. It wasn’t his day.

JONNY MAY 5 V 7 GEORGE NORTH

It was a brief encounter for May after he suffered a head knock and subsequently failed a medical assessment. North achieved a turnover and put in a couple of decent hard-yards carries. He was there at the end, gamely trying to make ground. Sportingly accepted Tuilagi’s apology as the red-card man left the field.

GEORGE FORD 8 V 7 DAN BIGGAR

There was an assist from Ford for Daly’s try and the England No. 10 passed nicely throughout, though his drop-out that led to Tipuric’s try was too deep. A smart pass for Tuilagi’s score rounded off a strong show. Biggar found himself smashed by a double hit within the opening two minutes, but he put in a couple of nice kicks and beat a few defenders with one dodging run. A late try was a deserved reward.

BEN YOUNGS 9 V 5 TOMOS WILLIAMS

Match 99 for England for Youngs, but there was nothing flaky about the inside pass that sent Watson over, while the official man of the match also helped set up his team’s second touchdown. Williams didn’t light any fires in the opening 40 minutes, being beaten by Watson’s quick feet as the wing crossed. But he had a key role in Tipuric’s first try, drawing his man before sending out a perfect pass. Subbed minutes later.

JOE MARLER 8 V 5 DILLON LEWIS

Marler saw fit to meddle with Alun Wyn Jones’s crown jewels – and amused the prop was, too. Less controversially, he came up with a punchy carry in the build-up to Elliot Daly’s try and won his side three points with a scrum surge that marmalised Leon Brown. Lewis appeared to be caught in no-man’s land in the run-up to England’s first try. Picked up a bump and was subbed at half-time.

JAMIE GEORGE 6 V 6 KEN OWENS

The battle of the Lions hookers. George had a 100 percent return at the line-out and did a bit of carrying and tackling without achieving too much. Owens deserves a medal for bravery after stopping Tuilagi in full flight and tackled well throughout, though one of his line-out darts went astray.

KYLE SINCKLER 8 V 5 ROB EVANS

There were 10 tackles from Sinckler in the opening 28 minutes – extraordinary for a tighthead prop. Got his carrying game going more after the break. Evans hailed Sinckler as a funny bloke during the build-up. But there wasn’t much to laugh about as England’s scrum exerted pressure.

MARO ITOJE 8 V 5 JAKE BALL

Itoje is England’s machine, a player who doesn’t stop, and he kept engulfing Wales ball carriers. Ball was a shade late on the scene for one clear-out, unable to stop Courtney Lawes from achieving a turnover. Effort wasn’t a problem, but England were too powerful. Went off injured.

GEORGE KRUIS 6 V 7 ALUN WYN JONES

Kruis had many tributes paid to him in the build-up for what could be his final Test for England. He put in a decent defensive shift and had one good carry. Jones has experienced a lot in his career, but attracting the X-certificate attention of Marler must have been a new one for Wales’s captain. Lured into a maul in build-up to first England try, but later powered into Henry Slade. Showed his indestructibility by staying on the pitch after taking a nasty knock.

COURTNEY LAWES 8 V 6 ROSS MORIARTY

The battle of the bashers, both impressive in round three. Lawes achieved a vital turnover early in the second half which yielded three points when Wales were coming back into it. He also finished with a mountainous haul of tackles. Moriarty typically had a go, flinging himself into contact, taking some line-out ball and making a few hits before being replaced on 57 minutes.

MARK WILSON 7 V 8 JUSTIN TIPURIC

Wilson dished up a Ronseal effort, doing as it said on the tin as he put in a load of tackles. Didn’t offer much with ball in hand, but his defence was excellent. Yet again Tipuric delivered for Wales, this time with two tries, some super defence and lovely handling and link play. In adversity, he stood tall. A candidate for man of the match.

TOM CURRY 7 V 8 JOSH NAVIDI

Wales kept sending restarts Curry’s way and he kept running them back with interest. He also performed impeccably in defence in the opening half. Considering Navidi hadn’t played much rugby in the previous weeks, he had a terrific game, at the heart of so much that was good about Wales’s effort with determined carrying and tackling.