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England v Australia player ratings: Smith-Farrell axis fails to function

jake goodwill
·7 min read
Owen Farrell had a challenging night in Perth - GETTY IMAGES
Owen Farrell had a challenging night in Perth - GETTY IMAGES

England suffered defeat in the first Test against Australia despite playing against 14 men for the majority of the match.

Telegraph Sport runs the rule over both sides after the series opener.

England

15. Freddie Steward

Aerial skills used to good effect in attack to chase high balls. Solid as ever at the back. Could become more involved in phase play. 7

14. Jack Nowell

Looked dangerous when working off his wing and pulled off one run that left three defenders in his wake. Starting to look back to his best. 7

13. Joe Marchant

Used on the wing as well as centre, Marchant was classy in attack and strong in defence. Needs to demand the ball more often. 7

12. Owen Farrell

Combination with Smith looked promising early on but clearly needs further honing. Midfield was often too flat, making it far too easy to defend. 5

11. Joe Cokanasiga

Picked to add power to the backline, Cokanasiga bumped off Australian captain Hooper early on but was very quiet for the remainder. Not involved enough with Nowell roaming instead. 5

10. Marcus Smith

Found space out the back with Farrell frequently used at first receiver. Missed a couple of chances to exploit opportunities. England needed more. 5

Marcus Smith finds his path stopped - AP
Marcus Smith finds his path stopped - AP

9. Danny Care

After four years away from international rugby, Care delivered a composed but uninspiring performance. Did not add the spark Eddie Jones would have wanted. 6

1. Ellis Genge

Dotted the ball down at the back of the maul. Busy as usual, pumping his legs to earn the hard yards. Penalised at scrum time on one occasion. 7

2. Jamie George

Fairly quiet showing in the loose but his throwing at the line-out was accurate and allowed England’s maul to function. 6

3. Will Stuart

Kyle Sinckler’s absence gave Stuart a chance to start. Won a penalty at scrum time and strong in the loose. Promising performance. 8

4. Maro Itoje

Told off for shouting at the line-out as enhanced his reputation as rugby’s biggest nuisance. Uncharacteristically quiet and frankly looked a little tired. 5

5. Jonny Hill

Yellow carded for pulling Swain’s hair. Lucky not to be punished for a push to the face of Swain before that. Reckless and immature performance. 4

Jonny Hill of England is shown a yellow card during game one of the international test match series between the Australian Wallabies and England at Optus Stadium on July 02, 2022 in Perth, Australia. - GETTY IMAGES
Jonny Hill of England is shown a yellow card during game one of the international test match series between the Australian Wallabies and England at Optus Stadium on July 02, 2022 in Perth, Australia. - GETTY IMAGES

6. Courtney Lawes (c)

Backed as captain by Jones, Lawes delivered a solid showing. Chose to go to the corner at 9-6 down, a decision that paid off. Failed to rally the troops as the tide turned, however. 6

7. Tom Curry

Curry was a man possessed. Tackles, turnovers, breaks and a miss pass before coming off at half time due to a failed HIA. Remarkable 40 minutes. England missed him after the break. 9

England's Tom Curry runs past the diving tackle of Australia's Len Ikitau, left, during the rugby international between England and the Wallabies in Perth, Australia, Saturday, July 2, 2022. - AP
England's Tom Curry runs past the diving tackle of Australia's Len Ikitau, left, during the rugby international between England and the Wallabies in Perth, Australia, Saturday, July 2, 2022. - AP

8. Billy Vunipola

Vunipola repeatedly punched through Australia’s defence but he still has another gear and could get more touches. Yellow carded for a high shot late on. 6

Replacements

16. Luke Cowan-Dickie (66 mins) 6

17. Mako Vunipola (58 mins) 6

18. Joe Heyes (79 mins) 6

19. Ollie Chessum (69 mins) 5

20. Lewis Ludlam (40 mins) 7

21. Jack van Poortvliet (79 mins) 7

22. Guy Porter N/A

23. Henry Arundell (74 mins) 9

Ludlam came on at half time and did a decent Curry impersonation. Arundell's cameo could not have gone better and is in with a chance of starting the second Test. Van Poortvliet also scored on debut.

Australia

15. Tom Banks

Gruesome injury after competing for a high ball ended Banks’ involvement 20 minutes in. Seems unlikely he will be back for the rest of the series. 6

14. Andrew Kellaway

Moved from wing to full-back after Banks’ injury. Executed crisp handling for Australia’s opening score. 6

13. Len Ikitau

Very quiet game for the talented centre but made the crucial pass in the build-up to Petaia’s score. 6

12. Samu Kerevi

Kicking game has improved markedly and his boot was used often. Rather quiet in the first half but started to influence the game with his carrying later on. England missed a Kerevi-like presence. 8

11. Marika Koroibete

Made a phenomenal cover tackle to stop Marchant scoring and made yards consistently with ball-in-hand. Beat Nowell in the air on occasion too. 8

England's Joe Marchant is tackled by Australia's Marika Koroibete during the rugby international between England and the Wallabies in Perth, Australia, Saturday, July 2. - AP
England's Joe Marchant is tackled by Australia's Marika Koroibete during the rugby international between England and the Wallabies in Perth, Australia, Saturday, July 2. - AP

10. Noah Lolesio

Thrust into the starting line-up at the last minute, Lolesio did a reasonable job. Does not look like a commanding presence at international level yet. Needs to attack the line more often. 7

9. Nic White

Former Exeter man is a class act and even managed to earn a penalty at the breakdown. Had to run the show with an inexperienced fly-half outside him. 8

1. Angus Bell

Tough day at scrum time but showed his talent elsewhere including a vital turnover at the breakdown and a rampaging break. 7

2. David Porecki

Looked a little off the pace on debut, but made a nice break down the five-metre channel after front of the line-out move. 6

3. Allan Alaalatoa

Was harshly penalised for not rolling away when it seemed Alaalatoa was borderline unconscious. Removed after 25 minutes following that incident. 6

4. Darcy Swain

Sent off for a stupid headbutt on Hill in the first half after the England lock pulled his hair. Lost his head completely. 3

5. Cadeyrn Neville

On debut at 33, Neville was picked to disrupt England’s set-piece but failed to do so. Tricky without a lock partner for some of the match, in fairness. 6

6. Rob Leota

Made it over the gainline repeatedly with explosive carries. Sacrificed early in the second half so two locks could be on the pitch. 7

7. Michael Hooper (c)

Struggled to get into the game early on before influencing a couple of turnovers. Outplayed by the superb Curry in the first half, but delivered a strong showing after the break. 8

8. Rob Valetini

Carried powerfully but feels like he could get more touches on the ball. Australia has not got the best out of him yet. 7

Replacements

16. Folau Fainga’a (68 mins) 8

17. Scott Sio (54 mins) 8

18. James Slipper (26 mins) 8

19. Matt Philip (54 mins) 6

20. Pete Samu (68 mins) 8

21. Jake Gordon (75 mins) 6

22. James O’Connor (79 mins) 6

23. Jordan Petaia (20 mins) 8

Petaia and Slipper were introduced early with the former executing a superb finish in the corner. The replacement front row and Samu were influential as Australia took control.