England-Ireland ratings: Gibson-Park produces a masterly display in demolition job
STAR MAN: Ireland's Jamison Gibson-Park scores a try
Careless in desperately trying to stem an Ireland attack and giving away a yellow card, in keeping with the all-round lack of control in England’s play, Failed to impress.
Back where he belongs and back where he is at his most productive, but didn’t sparkle. Lovely pluck of ball out of the air but couldn’t make any real impact.
A key selection if England were going to generate the go-forward missing so badly in Scotland. Yet he was left grasping at thin air as McCloskey broke upfield for their second try. Disappointing.
Another chance to show that his game IQ could compensate for a lack of punch and pace but was exposed in defence even though he did get on the scoresheet.
On his best behaviour after his red-card blob at Murrayfield, his pace was a threat as he made yardage but not to any great effect.
Dreadfully shaky, unable to get rid of last week’s wobbles, being charged down on a chip and then twice missing touch from straightforward penalties.
No time to properly make his mark and paled by comparison with his opposite number. Took a knock and was replaced in the 23rd minute.
A huge factor in pre-match analysis, charged with doing to Tadhg Furlong what the Italian scrum had done. England scrum was sound but Genge did miss an easy tackle on Caelan Doris.
Bombed. Preferred as a starter to Jamie George and had to be on the money with his throwing. It didn’t happen, Cowan-Dickie flunking the opening lineout and was subbed off on the half hour.
Not the showbiz Joe Marler lookalike as Princess Anne mistakenly thought in Scotland but very much an unsung, well-regarded unit in the tight and round the field.
Ton up for Maro yet the celebratory big game did not materialise. These are worrying times for Itoje, probably for the first time in his career. He could make little impact and was again replaced before the hour mark.
The stoker in the engine room, adding heft and power yet was a little ragged with some of his touches. England were jittery in their control of the ball.
Careless in giving away a side-entry penalty from where Gibson-Park scored the first Ireland try, Curry has not reached the levels that made him such a world-class operator.
Worthy and industrious as ever but Earl was not able to stem the irresistible green-shirted flow even though he made a dozen carries in the first half alone.
Pollock the Punk, defying convention, was the centre of attention on his first start. It was not an afternoon for the wide open space and Pollock did his fair share of grunt work although was yellow carded.
The Pom Squad loaded-bench strategy was put to one side as England focussed on bouncing back from the Murrayfield horror show with their best men charged with setting the right tone from first whistle. It was a total flop although Sam Underhill did manage to get a late try.
A day to relish as Ireland stirred themselves to such wonderful effect, proving that they are not a team on the slide. Osborne was not fazed by his ten minutes in the sin-bin and returned to dance through for his try.
Sensational, a star is born. A man who has made the most of his opportunity, Baloucoune supported well, using his pace and footwork to make trouble, defending ferociously and linking well with Tommy O’Brien in the build-up to the tries.
Ringrose made sure those around him could prosper with his customary sound organisational skills, making crucial tackles when England did manage to slip through. Took a knock to his leg.
The ballast of Bundee has been more than adequately replaced by the heft and cleverness of the Ulsterman, one of the stand-out turns for Ireland in this championship as was proven during a rampaging first half. Brilliant claw-back, try-saving tackle on Marcus Smith.
Unlucky and out of the contest within the first quarter. A return to the colours last week and a return to something like his form of old for Lowe who was charged with doing it all again but dropped a ball in contact before sadly limping off.
Finally, a chance to show what he had to offer from the start. Crowley has been itching for this chance. He helped bring shape and direction from the bench last week and the remit was the same again. Crowley was word-perfect. The shirt is now his.
Sharp and influential, a masterly display including the first try of the match. Another to impress as a replacement last week, Gibson-Park was part of a heavyweight quintet of recalled players, big game players for a big game, and he delivered. Harsh penalty against Ireland denied him a second try but he was flawless.
The mayhem was being created elsewhere but Loughman just knuckled down and tended to his basics even though the scrum was under strain.
For all the draining exertions in the tight scrum, Sheehan didn’t let that heavy shift detract from his work round the field, an ever-present in his support and on hand for a try, his 17th in 38 tests.
Under the cosh in the scrum, there was no gainsaying Furlong’s ability to deal with adversity at the coal-face, grafting away in the tight and present round the field.
Fighting fit and using all that muscle to good effect, ripping through an early England lineout to steal ball and set up position from where the first points were scored. McCarthy enjoyed his afternoon.
An early tussle with poster-boy Pollock, sent out the signal that Ireland were up for the fight and, boy, did they follow through on that.
Back in the fold and performing to a high level in all that he did, stealing away with a lineout, an early portent of what was to come. Beirne was in the right place at the right time in all phases.
It was van der Flier’s sort of game with line-breaks here, there and everywhere with the openside sensing where he needed to be to keep the attack going.
A captain’s performance. Whatever it was that Doris said to his men before kick-off, they responded in fine fashion. Doris provided more than mere words with his trademark all-encompassing efforts, hitting hard on the go-forward and showing deft hands for Baloucoune’s try. Rare fumble in closing stages. .
The contest was over so early in proceedings that the bench replacements did not have to do much except carry on the good work. One man’s misfortune is another man’s opportunity. Lowe’s injury saw Tommy O’Brien on to the field midway through the first half and the Leinster back was into the game immediately, showing good anticipation and spring heels. Fully deserved his try and enhanced his claims. Nick Timoney also showed well. Jack Conan pulled out before kick-off with illness.
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