Player Ratings: England

by Brendan Cole

England were brave and committed against South Africa, but once Mark Cueto's scoring effort in the corner was not allowed, and after conceding some ill disciplined penalties, they found the task of getting either round or through the Springboks a bridge too far. 

Click here for the South Africa RWC final ratings.

Click here for last week's (semi-final v France) England ratings.

1: Andrew Sheridan

Very good performance in a losing side from this hugely strong and high impacting player. England would have got nowhere at RWC 2007 without him, and although they lost this final he didn't let them down by any means.

2: Mark Regan

Got the throwing in generally on target - no mean feat against the best defensive lineout in the world - and battled away in the driving exchanges.

3: Phil Vickery

Not the force he once was and weak scrummaging undermined England's efforts to get pressure on in a key phase for them and it was noticeable how much impact Os du Randt - Vickery's opposite man in the front row - made in the loose; especially when you take into account that du Randt was the Boks tighthead. Once again, Matt Stevens stepped things up considerably when he came in.

4: Simon Shaw

Excellent running and handling - Shaw wouldn't look out of place playing for Fiji - and a great effort in the lineout and elsewhere; did enough against the powerful South African lock pairing to keep England in touch.

5: Ben Kay

Lineout leader got the job done well out of touch after a shaky start - something no other side has managed to do all tournament - and along with Shaw ensured that England were able to live with the Boks in a key area.

6: Martin Corry

One or two handling errors - typical rather than unusual at this stage - but the driving and determination in the collisions were out of the top drawer.

7: Lewis Moody

Silly trip cost England a vital three points - it really is unforgivable for a pro to give away the most damaging penalty in the game. Moody made up for it somewhat with some good tackling and rucking, although the Boks were never unduly put out by his nuisance factor.

8: Nick Easter

Pace problem meant he struggled to get involved on the rare occasions the game sparked into life; did his best when the play was slower, but was sometimes ineffective.

9: Andy Gomarsall

Did the basics well and looked once or twice - a breakaway down the right in the second half, and the pass to Cueto for the try chance - as though he might be the man to provide the little extra England needed to get at the Boks.

10: Jonny Wilkinson

Landed tough kicks to keep England in touch, and did well when punting out of hand as well; while the defence was up to the usual high standard. England were disorganised from 10 out once Catt went off though, which was disappointing given that they at times looked to have the beating of the blitz.

11: Mark Cueto

Was it a try? It seems, looking at the photos, that it was not. Cueto is a normally top finisher, but it has to be pointed out that when the chance arose he had his elbows down before the ball, and was not as clever as he needed to be in the tight space - although it is harsh to say, a snappier finisher might well have got England a vital five points. Otherwise he did his job well; showing good strength and reliability under pressure, and winning a penalty at a vital time for his team.

12: Mike Catt

Looked good at times - kicking well, and passing with intent - but ultimately couldn't take it physically. To be fair, England still had a chance while he was on the field, which says alot about his quality.

13: Mathew Tait

I saw him as a weakness but - while there were one or two errors - Tait had an excellent game. A vital turnover rip in defence inside his own '22, and that phenomenal break - truly mesmeric -which almost ended in an England try were the high points.

14: Paul Sackey

As against France, Sackey didn't get a real chance to score, and he also came off second best - just about - in an intriguing battle with opposite number Habana. Showed good strength at times, and is a safe winger who rarely turns over ball these days; pity he had no chance to shine.

15: Jason Robinson

Started brightly, providing the usual fizz in his catching, carrying and chasing. The fantastic tackle on a charging Butch James - who would have been in under the posts otherwise - was an inspirational intervention, and Robinson looked set for a big game. As such it was a pity his match, and career, were ended by injury when things were still in the balance.  England suffered greatly for his absence.

Bench Rating: England

Stevens made a good impact in the scrums - proving he should have started - but otherwise England lost shape and purpose when the likes of Hipkiss and Flood were brought in for Catt and Robinson. The Worsley - a sub himself - for Richards swap was also (were they trying to use two scrum halves to get around the Boks?) didn't work.

Manager Rating: Brian Ashton

Evidence before the match said Vickery wasn't a good enough scrummager anymore, and it was borne out: although it would have been a hard decision, Ashton should have dropped his captain.

The lineout worked, and England didn't concede a try and came close to getting one themselves. But the discipline - amid rumours of 'player power' - let England down at some key stages.  Otherwise, the two scrum-half theory (?) didn't work at the end. Not a bad performance, and England could have won; but one or two little changes might have given them a better chance.