England vs Scotland result: Player ratings as Duhan van der Merwe seals Six Nations victory
Scots secured their first victory at Twickenham in 38 years with a magnificent display
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Your support makes all the difference.Scotland held on to deservedly defeat England 11-6 and earn their first win at Twickenham in 38 years to open their 2021 Six Nations campaign.
The Scots had multiple chances to secure the win, but an uninspired English performance ensured that the home side would fail to take advantage.
An undisciplined England – who committed seven penalties in the opening 23 minutes – struggled to find their feet in the first half, with Scotland repeatedly knocking on the door before Duhan van der Merwe scored the opening try.
Scotland dominated possession and should have secured the win a number of times in the second half, and relied on some spectacular kicking to relieve any England pressure.
The result means Scotland open the Six Nations with a win and take the Calcutta Cup, while defending champions England slump to a loss. Here are our player ratings:
England
15. Elliot Daly – 5. Awful attempt at tackling van der Merwe for the try, but his kicking was consistent.
14. Anthony Watson – 5. Watson was a passenger on this occasion, and struggled to make any sort of mark on the game.
13. Henry Slade – 5. A poor outing for Slade.
12. Ollie Lawrence – 5. He was completely anonymous, and was replaced by Ford for the critical stages.
11. Jonny May – 5. A poor, unforced knock-on allowed Scotland an opportunity to move into English territory but it ultimately led to nothing. He hauled in a kick under tremendous pressure that led to an English penalty.
10. Owen Farrell – 7. He made an excellent clearing kick when under pressure midway through the first half, which was a period that he struggled in despite kicking England’s points.
9. Ben Youngs – 6. He struggled to get to grips with Scotland’s tempo, and was withdrawn in the second half.
1. Ellis Genge – 4. He was dominated throughout the contest, losing his one-on-one battle with Rory Sutherland.
2. Jamie George – 5. Not good enough as he was dominated by Scotland’s front row.
3. Will Stuart – 6. He made a number of big tackles to keep Scotland at bay.
4. Maro Itoje – 5. Itoje charged down a clearing kick early, but he conceded far too many penalties.
5. Jonny Hill – 6. Another Englishman that just didn’t turn up.
6. Mark Wilson – 5. He never got to grips with the Scottish ruck, and was dominated physically.
7. Tom Curry – 5. Curry was completely outclassed by Jonny Gray.
8. Billy Vunipola – 5. He was sin binned following repeated infringements, although his high tackle was particularly disheartening.
Substitutes: Cowan-Dickie – 6, Robson – 6, Williams – 6, Lawes – 6, Earl – 6, Ford – 6, Obano – 6.
Scotland
15. Stuart Hogg – 9. The full back got forward well and made a number of darting runs forward throughout the clash. His kick, 15 minutes into the second half, was one of the best you’ll see – but he missed a late kick that would have secured the win.
14. Sean Maitland – 7. He made a fine run do set up a strong drive for the Scots, which led to a penalty.
13. Chris Harry – 7. A fine performance that allowed his teammates to star.
12. Cameron Redpath – 8. Made a solid stop on Vunipola in the first half, and generally played his role effectively as Scotland pressured the hosts. A brilliant debut.
11. Duhan van der Merwe – 8. Did well to score his try after not being able to haul in Russell’s kick, but missed the conversion. His penetration through the English defence was admirable.
10. Finn Russell – 8. He was arguably the best player on the field before his yellow card, issued for a blatant trip. His missed kick summarised the inconsistency that remains in his game.
9. Ali Price – 5. He struggled to match the tempo of his teammates, and was a real weak spot for Scotland.
1. Rory Sutherland – 8. Sutherland dominated Genge to help give Scotland a slender advantage up front.
2. George Turner – 7. His lineout delivery was on point, and he had a surprisingly good game in open field.
3. Zander Fagerson – 7. A dominant performance from the prop.
4. Scott Cummings – 6. Cummings never lost a one-on-one as Scotland held strong.
5. Jonny Gray – 9. He helped keep England at bay with some fine tackles and won multiple penalties, particularly in crucial moments.
6. Jamie Ritchie – 7. He helped Scotland maintain their impressive performance, and played his role well.
7. Hamish Watson – 8. A fantastic performance from Watson,
8. Matt Fagerson – 7. He was everywhere for Scotland and never let an Englishman past him.
Substitutes: Cherry – 6, Kebble – 6, Gray – 6, Nel – 6.
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