France

Léo Barré of Electric Company delivered an impressive fake and quick pass to set up Le Garrec’s first try. He then followed through to score one of his own. Overall, he had a score of 8.

Damian Penaud Gloriously unpredictable – at times it looks like he doesn’t even know which way he’ll go – but of course he was in just the right place to receive Ramos’s fly-hack. 9

Gaël Fickou was determined to have fun as he made an impressive pass through his legs. However, he let Lawrence in too easily, but managed to score a crucial, opportunistic goal, earning a rating of 7.

Nicolas Depoortère had a mistake while trying to make an attacking move for France, and also struggled defensively. It was not his best performance so far, receiving a rating of 6.

Louis Bielle-Biarrey nearly outran Smith in the long foot race, but wasn’t able to demonstrate his speed after that. 6

Thomas Ramos was accurate with his goal-kicking, remaining cool and collected as he set up for the final kick. However, his defensive abilities were lacking. He displayed impressive football techniques during Fickou’s try. 8

Nolann Le Garrec No 30-metre reverse passes this week but buzzed around throughout. Booed a few times when slowing things down at the ruck – but not as loudly as Mitchell. 8

Cyril Baille Turned over Smith and played an important part in France’s dominant maul. Honours even – or perhaps just in England’s favour – at scrum time though. 7

Julien Marchand was unable to make an impact on the game when he had the ball, which is usually his strength. Additionally, his lineout throws were not flawless. He received a rating of 6.

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Uini Atonio Shows such deft hands for someone of his size but makes his presence felt too with his big hits and heavyweight carrying. 8

Thibaud Flament, a former Wasps forward, put in a lot of work that went unnoticed during the match. Whenever the French team gained dominance in the pack, he was always involved in the action. He received a rating of 6.

Emmanuel Meafou A colossus. He shoved Earl aside, then Itoje got the same treatment a few minutes later, and he came up with a big turnover too but could not last the pace. 8

François Cros capitalized on the lineout, igniting the play that led to Le Garrec’s try. He dominated the field throughout the entire night.

Charles Ollivon had a strong offensive run through the heart of England’s defense during the first half and rose to the occasion when France was trailing by eight points. He received a rating of 7.

Gregory Alldritt (capt) Lots of hard yards including one carry that punched a hole in England’s defence. A real captain’s innings in face of English resistance. 8

Substitutes: Peato Mauvaka (replacing Marchand 48) with a score of 7; Sébastien Taofifénua (subbing in for Baille 48) scoring a 6; Georges-Henri Colombe (taking over for Atonio 60) with a rating of 7; Romain Taofifénua (filling in for Meafou 48) also earning a 7; Alexandre Roumat (substituting for Ollivon 60) achieving a score of 7; Paul Boudehent (coming on for Alldritt 70) not applicable; Maxime Lucu (substituting for Le Garrec 67) scoring a 6; Yoram Moefana (replacing Depoortère 60) earning a 7.

England

George Furbank Lasted less than eight minutes before picking up a calf injury that led to Smith’s introduction far earlier than anticipated. n/a

Tommy Freeman Some excellent breaks but threw a poor pass over Mitchell’s head to waste a chance. Showed finishing instinct when it mattered. 7

He assisted Lawrence’s first try and delivered a sharp pass to Freeman in the lead-up to his partner’s second try. His performance has improved throughout the competition. He received a rating of 7.

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points

Ollie Lawrence had a major collision with Penaud and followed it up with a crucial tackle on the winger. He ran a strategic line, providing England with a significant advantage right before halftime and once again capitalized on the opportunity shortly after. He contributed 8 points to the team’s score.

Elliot Daly was not very successful in his attempts to catch kicks and even slipped during a critical moment, resulting in Fickou scoring a try. However, he did a decent job cleaning up at the back on a couple of occasions and receives a rating of 6.

/10

George Ford’s composed demeanor was essential for England during the intense first half. His clever assist led to Freeman’s try, and his goal-kicking was spot-on this week. He deserves an 8 out of 10 rating.

Alex Mitchell’s left hand was treated early on and it had an impact on his performance. He fumbled the ball once and threw an imperfect pass to Slade. He appeared to be uncomfortable, but continued pushing through. He received a rating of 6.

Ellis Genge had a mixed performance, as he made a costly mistake by giving away a penalty. However, he made up for it by winning a penalty at scrum time. He also demonstrated excellent dexterity by utilizing his soft hands to free up Earl. Overall, his performance earned him a score of 7.

Jamie George deserves immense recognition for England’s ability to endure and make a comeback. His absence on the field was felt as a lack of leadership. He has consistently shown exceptional conduct throughout the entire tournament. Rating: 7/10.

Dan Cole One carry for a total of no metres but is in the side to hold up his end of the scrum and he did that effectively. 6

Maro Itoje’s trademark proved to be a disruptive presence from the beginning of the game. He faced a tough challenge against a strong second row. He received a rating of 6.

Georgie Martin had a quiet game compared to last week, not being as noticeable. However, he did manage to make some strong tackles and was a nuisance for the opposition in lineouts.

Ollie Chessum had a major impact on the game, delivering a strong tackle on Le Garrec in the first half. This was one of 11 tackles he made before halftime, showing that he is continuing his strong performance from last week. Despite regularly needing treatment, he managed to stay on the field for almost an hour. He received a rating of 8.

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Ben Earl’s determination kept England in the game and he set up Smith’s try. He also gave away a costly penalty, but he could be considered the best player of the tournament for England. His performance was rated 7 out of 10.

Replacements: Theo Dan (for George 50) Lineout wobbles 5; Joe Marler (for Genge 50) Solid 6; Will Stuart (for Cole 50) Got stuck in 6; Ethan Roots (for Chessum 55) 6; Alex Dombrandt (for Underhill 67) n/a; Danny Care (for Mitchell 70) Upped tempo 6; Marcus Smith (for Furbank 8) Excellent 8; Manu Tuilagi (for Slade 60) 7

Source: theguardian.com