HOW THEY RATED
England GEORGE FURBANK 5
Had a nightmare debut here in 2020 and was a bag of nerves again. One awful incident when he took ball out.
FREDDIE STEWARD 8
Switched to wing to do a job and took his try well. Performed his usual heroics under the ball.
JOE MARCHANT 8
Has come on a bundle in the last two games. Superb muscular break set up England’s first score.
HENRY SLADE 6
Would be better off at 13 but kicking game showed up well and was involved in England’s best attacks.
JACK NOWELL 6
Correctly escaped a first-half red card for a dangerous challenge but could not escape an unlucky injury.
MARCUS SMITH 6
He has a new trick up his sleeve for every occasion. They don’t always come off but he has to stay at 10.
BEN YOUNGS 5
Brought in for his box-kicking which went well but his service from breakdowns still slow if pace ups.
ELLIS GENGE 6
Carried ball from the back field like Billy Vunipola does but did not have things his own way at scrum time.
JAMIE GEORGE 6
Tidy in the lineout as usual and was a rallying point when a landslide threatened for France.
WILL STUART 5
Showed up well off the bench against Ireland but did not have the same impact from the start here.
MARO ITOJE 7
He saw the Mona Lisa this week and, if this was not a masterpiece, it was good work with turnovers and lineouts.
NICK ISIEKWE 6
In one week, out the next, but the Saracens man should be given a longer run in the starting team.
COURTNEY LAWES 6
The skipper put himself about and England’s lineout is balanced with him at 6. Hit a few Frenchmen hard.
SAM UNDERHILL 7
Just 56 minutes of rugby since January 22 but smashed into Jaminet and looked back to his old self.
SAM SIMMONDS 6
Was not seen to his best effect in broken field but got through his fair share of graft on the tackle front.
REPLACEMENTS
Daly (for Nowell 25) 5, Sinckler (for Stuart 49) 5, Chessum (for Isiekwe 61) 6, Marler (for Genge 64) 5, Randall (for Youngs 64) 5, Dombrandt (for Underhill 66) 5, Ford (for Furbank 76) 5.
THE SCORERS
ENGLAND Tries: Steward. Cons: Smith. Pens: Smith (2). FRANCE Tries: Fickou, Cros, Dupont. Cons: Jaminet (2). Pens: Jaminet (2).
FRANCE
Jaminet 8 (Ramos 76, 5), Penaud 6, Fickou 9, Danty 7, Villiere 7, Ntamack 7, Dupont 9 (Lucu 76, 5); Baille 7 (Gros 49, 6), Marchand 6 (Mauvaka 49, 6), Atonio 7 (Haouas 54, 6), Woki 8 (Flament 71, 5), Willemse 7 (Taofifenua 49, 6), Cros 7 (Cretin 71, 5), Jelonch 7, Alldritt 8.