England player ratings: Marchant stakes claim as Genge redefines role

There were jubilant scenes at the Stade de France as Les Bleus celebrated a first Six Nations Grand Slam for 12 years.

However, England had to make do with a third-place finish behind Ireland after winning only two of their five matches in the 2022 championship, having also finished fifth last year.

Simon Collings in Paris runs the rule over England’s individual performances…

Backs

George Furbank 6

Handed a rare start and did fairly well, certainly better than his debut here a few years ago. Made a couple of nice breaks.

Freddie Steward 7

Made a couple of superb takes under the high ball and justified his selection on the wing with a try.

Joe Marchant 8 | Star man

Made a few excellent breaks and looked such a threat when given space. The No13 shirt should be his now.

Henry Slade 6

Neat and tidy, but lacking the kind of quality he has shown in previous years. Not at his best right now.

Jack Nowell 5

Had his heart in his mouth when he brought down Melvyn Jaminet in the air going for a high ball. Escaped punishment but went off injured minutes later.

Marcus Smith 7

Excellent from the tee in what was a pressurised environment. Kicked a lot, but looked at his best when running in open field.

Ben Youngs 6

Outshone by the excellent Antoine Dupont, but then who wouldn’t be? Seemed to tire and perhaps should’ve come off sooner.