England narrowly defeated Wales at Twickenham thanks to a second-half performance that saw them pull the visitors back and eventually overtake them for the win.
It was far from a great performance from the hosts, but getting the win was what mattered, and Ben Earl’s ball-carrying was crucial in achieving that on Saturday.
But who shone brightest for England, and who had a match to forget in south-west London? Telegraph Sport gives its verdict – let us know your thoughts in the comments below.
England
15. Freddie Stewart
Skill under the high ball sometimes feels like a cheat code. Surprises Wales, his teammates and even himself with line breaks at the start and end of the match. 7/10
14.Tommy Freeman
His main contribution in the first half was packing on the flanker and producing a try-saving tackle on Josh Adams. England failed to use him as an offensive weapon. 6/10
13. Henry Slade
The England backline was largely operating on scraps and Slade was starving. It felt like a step back from how influential he was against Italy, but he made some important defensive statements. 6/10
12. Fraser Dingwall
The attempt included a host of sins – from George North running right through him, to failing to hold his line before going to Daly. 5/10
11 Elliott Daly
Consistently involved in England’s best attacking moments, producing a skillful if unconventional assist for Dingwall’s score. I’m still adjusting to Felix Jones’ defensive system. 7/10
10 George Ford
His performance will be remembered for the non-conversion, which is a shame as he personified England’s defensive prowess, scoring a stunning 50-22 and passing beautifully. 8/10
9 Alex Mitchell
Box-kicking was generally on the money without always getting the booty and his snipes are much better timed than in the World Cup. 7/10
1 Joe Marler
Earns an assist for Earl’s attempt to steady the scrum without the support of a flanker behind him. Overall a busy shift with some dominant tackles. 7/10
2 Jamie George
Emptyed the tank defensively and set the tone for his teammates. Twickenham was loud in the final quarter, but not quite the bearpit it wants it to be. 7/10
3 Wil Stuart
Begins to move into the role of starting tighthead. He scored a pile of big hits and carries, but slipped in a tackle for Mann’s try. 6/10
4 Maro Itoje
His monstrous tackle on Lloyd to force a turnover when England were down to thirteen men was probably the defining moment of the match. There’s not much else to shout about. 7/10
5 Ollie Chessum
Spent most of the first half off the field after receiving a harsh yellow card and then suffered a head injury himself. Came with a settlement. 6/10
6 Ethan roots
Struggling to match the heights of last week, lost the ball deep in contact with the Welsh 22 before receiving a penalty and a yellow card for killing a maul. 5/10
7Sam Underhill
In his element during a 25-phase defensive stand and a decent rib tickle on Thomas. I also came up with a pocket on a maul. However, does he look too much like Roots? 7/10
8 Ben Graaf
Enjoying his role as England’s most important man. Brought out some serious big-boy energy from the back of a seven-man scrum for his try. 8/10
Replacements
Theo Dan (for George, 73) 6, Ellis Genge (for Marler, 51) 7, Dan Cole (for Stuart, 51) 7, Alex Coles (for Roots, 73) 6, Chandler Cunningham-South (for Underhill, 64) 7, Danny Care (for Mitchell, 69) Unused: Fin Smith, Immanuel Feyi-Waboso
England started to gain the upper hand in the scrum when Genge and Cole came on, while Cunningham-South again had some eye-catching games. 6/10
Wales
15 Cameron Winnett
A solid performance. Used the space behind the English back three with varying degrees of success. A fine try-saving tackle on Daly before cutting the hosts open with a fearless run. 7/10
14 Josh Adams
A much more controlled performance than last week. He spilled Lloyd’s floating kick, but his sharp footwork but gave Wales the go-ahead for Mann’s try. 7/10
13 George North
The old boy still has it. Recovered well after being out of position during the opening changes. The veteran center showed glimpses of his best. 7/10
12 Nick Tompkins
The challenge is to involve him more as a ball carrier. His disjointed midfield partnership with North epitomized Wales’ lack of clarity in attack. 5/10
11 Rio Dyer
Got an early kick across the field when he had Elliot Daly on his shoulder. Showed great intuition to race out of the blocks and disrupt Ford’s conversion. 7/10
10 Ian Lloyd
He tried to exploit the space wide, but his inexperience showed when he was ambushed by Maro Itoje five yards out, which led to Earl skipping over. 5/10
9 Tom Williams
He made a series of unconvincing box and clearance kicks that invited unnecessary pressure but provided a fine line of support for Mann’s score. 6/10
1 Gareth Thomas
Delivered an excellent service and was involved in some patient phase play in the free run with a flurry of hitting carries. 5/10
2 Elliott Dee
The good news is that the wrinkles in the line have been ironed out. Fine accuracy with his arrows and carried hard. 6/10
3 Kieron Assiratti
Recovered well from Ollie Chessum’s high tackle but didn’t have much to shout about. Hooked on Archie Griffin before the hour. 5/10
4 Dafydd Jenkins
A zealous display from Wales’ baby-face killer. Brought calmness to the proceedings and epitomized his side’s much improved defense. 6/10
5 Adam Beard
He worked hard in the open without showing too much, although his defensive work in the red zone underlined an excited Wales. 5/10
6 Alex Mann
A productive day at the office. Had the legs to mark his first Test start with a try after running a fine support line for Tomos Williams. 7/10
7Tommy Reffell
By far Wales’ most important player. Good job breaking down the early doors and a nice release leading up to Mann’s try. Wales need to keep him fit. 9/10
8 Aaron Wainwright
He really is a laboratory animal. Had a busy afternoon making bulldozer trucks and defensive cleanup. 7/10
Replacements
Grady couldn’t stop Dingwall’s dive in the corner, and his deliberate attack didn’t help Wales’ cause either. Hardy struggled to reinvigorate his staff as the visitors faded away. 4/10