Report & Ratings: Wales 20 - 9 England - 2023 Summer Series

Leigh Halfpenny steered the ship on his 100th Wales test match, slotting the all-important points from the tee in a memorable day for the fullback. 23-year-old flanker Jac Morgan shone in a dream first run as Wales captain, getting the first victory under his belt in what could well be a long tenure with the armband.

The point scoring in the first half all came from the boot, with five penalties shared out three-to-two for an England advantage at the break. The visitors got the opening points on the board in Cardiff, as Marcus Smith capitalised on his opportunity to lead Borthwick's side out at fly half. The Harlequin played a blinding first forty minutes, fizzing passes out to dangerous positions and slotting three penalties from the tee.

The debuting duo of Wales props Corey Domachowski and Keiron Assiratti looked out of their depth, as they made the step up from Cardiff Arms Park to the Principality Stadium. An early injury to returning hooker Ryan Elias disrupted the leadership in the front row, and allowed England to impose their dominance on a weakened pack at scrum time.

The scrum penalties followed, allowing Marcus Smith to slot two unanswered penalties after seven and 13 minutes. Wales soon forged a comeback, and two well struck penalties from test match centurion Leigh Halfpenny brought the hosts back level at 6-6 after 25 minutes. The stalemate ensued until the final play of the first half, as another scrum penalty gifted Smith an easy three points from close range, and a 9-6 half-time lead.

Wales started the second half hottest, and presented their nation's fabled fire in the pack and the backs. Keiron Assiratti redeemed himself up-front, as he won a scrum penalty which kick-started Wales' go forward.

The opening try soon followed, as Aaron Wainwright collected a cross-field kick on the left wing, before a neat offload in the contact sent his captain Jac Morgan flying through a gap. Morgan exploded past a couple of defenders, before shipping the ball neatly to the supporting scrum half Gareth Davies. Halfpenny added to his tally on his 100th test match appearance, with a well taken conversion for a 13-9 Wales lead.

Wales started to pull away just before the hour mark, as they added a second try. Dan Biggar started off the move with an instant impact off the bench, his neat grubber split the England defence with Wales then able to build steady phase play. George North then got his hands on the ball, and spotted a gap to charge through from close range. Halfpenny's conversion extended the lead to 20-9.

The Welsh dynamo Louis Rees-Zammit showcased his explosive pace along the right wing, with a brilliant piece of skill in the matches closing moments. Rees-Zammit punted the ball over the defenders, and chased into the dead-ball zone with Freddie Steward in chase. After a TMO review, the unbelievable try is awarded... before being harshly but correctly ruled out for the slightest of knock-ons.

TRIES: 2 (Davies 47', North 58')

CONVERSIONS: 2 (Halfpenny 47', 58')

PENALTIES: 2 (Halfpenny 17', 25')

DROP GOALS: 0

STARTING XV: 15. Leigh Halfpenny 14. Louis Rees-Zammit 13. George North 12. Max Llewellyn 11. Rio Dyer 10. Sam Costelow 9. Gareth Davies 1. Corey Domachowski 2. Ryan Elias 3. Keiron Assiratti 4. Dafydd Jenkins 5. Will Rowlands 6. Christ Tshiunza 7. Jac Morgan 8. Aaron Wainwright

REPLACEMENTS: 16. Elliot Dee 17. Nicky Smith 18. Henry Thomas 19. Ben Carter 20. Taine Plumtree 21. Tomos Williams 22. Dan Biggar 23. Mason Grady

TRIES: 0

CONVERSIONS: 0

PENALTIES: 3 (Smith '7, '13, 40')

DROP GOALS: 0

STARTING XV: 15. Freddie Steward, 14. Max Malins, 13. Joe Marchant (dropped 2 early kicks) 12. Guy Porter, 11. Joe Cokanasiga, 10. Marcus Smith, 9. Danny Care, 1. Ellis Genge (C), 2. Jamie Blamire, 3. Will Stuart, 4. David Ribbans, 5. George Martin, 6. Lewis Ludlam, 7. Tom Pearson, 8. Alex Dombrandt

16. Theo Dan, 17. Bevan Rodd, 18. Kyle Sinckler, 19. Jonny Hill, 20. Tom Willis, 21. Jack van Poortvliet, 22. George Ford, 23. Henry Slade.

15. Leigh Halfpenny 8 - Battled well under the high ball, and marked his long awaited centurion appearance with a well-rounded showing at fullback. A class act under pressure, and as accurate as ever from the tee, Halfpenny shone in this one.

14. Louis Rees-Zammit 7 - The Gloucester winger had a quiet first 40 minutes for his standards, but kicked into top gear in the second half. His starring moment was harshly ruled out, with his chip and chase try initially awarded, but then ruled out after a subsequent review for the slightest knock-on. A phenomenon of pace, and kept England guessing late on.

13. George North 6.5 - The veteran centre showed his skillset by adding Wales' second try. As powerful as ever up the centre channel, he will be a useful asset of experience in a fresher-faced Wales side.

12. Max Llewellyn 6 - Not the greatest debut, with nerves a potential factor for the Gloucester centre. He bit in on Marcus Smith on a handful of occasions, and showed some inexperience against international opposition. However he was able to ease into the game as it progressed, and was instrumental in the phase play as Wales took their control.

11. Rio Dyer 5.5 - Like Rees-Zammit, Rio Dyer had a slow first half but kicked into gear along with the rest of the Welsh backs in the second half. The first glimpse of his ability was showcased in 2nd half, but was contained by the England backs. A nasty collision with Cokanasiga could have knocked his confidence up-front.

10. Sam Costelow 6 - There was a lot of pressure on the young fly half, and he made a bad habit of dropping the high balls. However he stepped up on the occasion, and regathered his composure and kicked well from hand. Struggled against Smith's spiralling kicks, but his own cross-field kick set-up the opening try. (Replaced by Dan Biggar 54th min)

9. Gareth Davies 7 - Confident on the boot and able to clear well under pressure with good box kicks. Offered the all-important supporting line for Jac Morgan, and drew first blood by crossing over to score the first try of the match.

1. Corey Domachowski 5 - Not the debut that the prop would have wanted. Wales' pack suffered in the first half, and was overpowered in the early scrums. Looked to be in deep water up front, and was out-scrummed by Will Stuart for a 40th minute penalty. This allowed Smith to slot three points for a half-time lead. Brighter sparks in early second half. (Replaced by Nicky Smith 49th min)

2. Ryan Elias N/A - It was a shame to see Ryan Elias suffer an early upper-calf injury. On his long awaited return match, Elias was hoping of pushing towards the 2023 Rugby World Cup but could be out of action for the foreseeable. His loss was felt in the first half, as Wales struggled with no leadership in the first 40 minutes. (Replaced by Elliot Dee 6th min)

3. Keiron Assiratti 5.5 - Similarly to Domachowski, the debutant prop was overpowered in early scrums, and struggled to get a foothold for early set pieces. However he regained himself well in the second half, and won an tide-turning scrum penalty after 45 mins. (Replaced by Henry Thomas 49th min)

4. Dafydd Jenkins 7 - So much promise at just 20 years old, he will be a star in Wales future and marked an all important performance against England, Wales look to have found their successor to Alun Wyn Jones, with Jenkins set-piece prowess and work rate highlighted today. (Replaced by Mason Grady 59th min).

5. Will Rowlands 6 - Rowlands impressed around the park, highlighting his skillset as a ball player and carrier. Tackled well, and did the basics right, however his performance was overshadowed by the poor Wales scrum in the first half. (Replaced by Ben Carter 49th min).

6. Christ Tshiunza 6 - A towering presence, gave Wales an edge at the lineout and impressed around the park. Not the most stand out forward but did the unseen blindside graft, with Jac Morgan taking the limelight from the opposite flank. (Replaced by Taine Plumtree 49th min).

7. Jac Morgan 10 - First time captaining Wales and he lead excellently by example. Exceptional work rate and received great praise from Sam Warburton at half time. Great tackling rate, wore the invisible armband with pride. Awesome involvement in the first try, and wrapped up his day with a powerful hit on his opposite man Tom Pearson in the second half. Rightly awarded the Player of the Match.

8. Aaron Wainwright 8 - Awesome performance by the back-rower who stepped up to the vacancy left by an injured Taulupe Falatau. He dominated the collision, and let every tackler know that he'd been hit. He gave a great offload in contact, after catching a high ball to Morgan, for Wales first try.

16. Elliot Dee 7.5 - Given a greater extended run than expected following an early upper calf injury to the returning Ryan Elias. Given a talking to by the referee after head-on-head scrummaging against Blamire. Dee eased into the match and was instrumental for the tide-turning scrummages in the second half. Singled out as 'outstanding' by Warren Gatland post match.

17. Nicky Smith 7 - Part of the front-row shape up that re-ignited Wales fire for the second half scrum. An instant impact up front Smith made good on his opportunity, and put his hand up for future selections in the unclear Gatland selection saga.

18. Henry Thomas 7 - Similar to Smith, a big impact off the bench and helped the front row success in the matches second half. There's plenty of competition for spots in Gatland's squad, and Thomas certainly did himself plenty of favours with a solid showing.

19. Ben Carter 6 It's tough to fill the gaps left by Justin Tipuric and Alun Wyn Jones but this man gave it a good go on his opportunity. Helped in the line-out disruption, which saw England lose three in a row following personnel changes.

20. Taine Plumtree 7 - Given a good run out off the bench for his debut, Plumtree brought an All Blacks style flair to the loose forwards. The New Zealand U20s player showed great capabilities with ball in hand, and a strong engine to push his team forward. A solid debut.

21. Tomos Williams 6.5 - Overshadowed at scrum half by the try scoring Gareth Davies. Coming on just before the hour mark, Williams did the basics right in the hope of booking himself a ticket to France. Box kicked well in defence and attack.

22. Dan Biggar 7.5 - Taking over the reigns from Sam Costelow, Biggar levelled out the hot-headed eagerness as Wales began to get excited in attack. He ran the ship well and was key in orchestrating the maintained success over the gain-line.

23. Mason Grady - 7 It's not often you see a winger slot in effortlessly into the back-row, but Mason Grady is big enough and skillfull enough to do just that. The verstaile winger came on as a forward, and almost scored, but was hit into touch by Ellis Genge.

15. Freddie Steward 7 - As elusive as ever, confident, and reminded why he's considered the best under the high ball. Forced Wales to kick down to Cokanasiga and Marchant, and was one of the few players who performed well for the first and second halves. Did not falter much despite the score, and a player England can rely on. Gave all important chase to pressure Rees-Zammit into knocking on the try attempt.

14. Max Malins 6 - Off his best but kept his head up. Malins had his best match action in the first half, and linked up will in the back-three with Freddie Steward. Had to adapt to cover for Cokanasiga's unorthodox defence, but kept Rio Dyer and Rees-Zammit quiet for the majority. (Replaced by Henry Slade 70th min)

13. Joe Marchant 6 - Dropped two kicks early on, but soon gathered his composure with neat line breaks. The Harlequins chemistry partnership with Marcus Smith worked well in the first half, to break into the back-field. Faltered into the second half along with many England players, but showed versatility when moved out to the wing.

12. Guy Porter 6 - Not seen too often outside of standard phase play. A hardworking centre, Porter achieved a good enough full 80 minutes, and didnt let much go by him. Its a tough pecking order behind Tuilagi, Lawrence, and countless other centre variations, but Porter put his hand up today.

11. Joe Cokanasiga 6 - Great to see him back in an England shirt, and hopefully future performances will see him showcase his talents out wide more. His best carry was at the expense of Rio Dyer. The powerful winger is an exciting tool for Borthwick's kit. A little slow of the mark defensively, but kept Dyer quiet.

10. Marcus Smith 7 - Slotted all of England's points, and linked up nicely with the strong Harlequins contingent on the field. He sent Marchant flying through gaps, and responded well to Care's orders as a halfback partner. Fizzed passes and found hands, and with the exception of one knock on, Smith was again one of England's better players in a losing team. (Replaced by George Ford 59th min).

9. Danny Care 7 - Close to his ever-green best throughout the first half. Serious contender to push on for a spot in the RWC with partnership with Smith. Played with a smile on his face, great to see him back in the fold and Harlequins prominence is exciting for England. Taken off too early, and his presence was missed in the second half turn-around. (Replaced by Jack van Poortvliet 49th min).

1. Ellis Genge 6.5 - Genge was back leading his side for the first time since the record-setting home defeat to France at Twickenham. He rallied his troops to keep fighting throughout, yet his best work came in the first half. The Baby Rhino carried well and had a good impact in the early scrums, yet petered out as the match swung Wales' way. (Replaced by Bevan Rodd 70th min).

2. Jamie Blamire 6 A Tough second half at the office for Blamire. His day started off well, as England's pack got the upper hand over Wales at the set piece. However he was slightly off the mark at the lineout, and was soon withdrawn as Borthwick shook up the side. (Replaced by Theo Dan 54th min)

3. Will Stuart 7 - Gave Cory Domeschovski a real challenge a scrum time. Caused England's scrum penalty on 40th minute, with Marcus Smith adding before the break for a 9-6 lead. He was the best front row player England had today, and has put his name in contention for the tight-head spot, that has since been owned by Sinckler. (Replaced by Kyle Sinckler 54th min).

4. David Ribbans 6.5 - Doing the unseen work off the ball. Good energy at the breakdown, and hitting the supportive lines to keep defenders guessing. He was taken off for a Head Injury Assessment shortly after the second half, with the move later confirmed as permanent. Here's hoping he returns to play in due course. (Replaced by Jonny Hill 45th min)

5. George Martin 7 - Played the full eighty minutes, and it was fair to say that he may well have run out of steam in the closing moments. Brilliant in the first half, it took three defenders to stop him in one huge carry after 32 mins. Bulldozer throughout the match, but didn't pace himself.

6. Lewis Ludlam 7 - Pulled England's width well with powerful carries outside the backs. His resolute defending was showcased once again, as England's go-to Blindside Flanker hit hard and rucked harder. Still lacking the leadership in the back-row, and was pre-occupied with the debuting Tom Pearson. (Replaced by Tom Willis 54th min)

7. Tom Pearson 6 - All eyes were on him after months of anticipation for his debut. Pearson's adrenaline saw him fly into tackles, as he seemed to revel in the pressure. He called for the ball and shook off nerves early on his debut. However he could well of done without being tackled back 5m by his opposite man Jac Morgan.

8. Alex Dombrandt 6.5 - Great line running, looping round the back off a lineout, pressure on the inexperienced partnership of Costelow and Llewellyn in the 10 and centre channel. Better than he was during the criticised Six Nations performances, but Dombrandt still didn't hit the heights that he does week in and week out at the Stoop.

ENGLAND REPLACEMENTS

16. Theo Dan 5 - Lost a few lineouts against the head, as England struggled with the set-piece throw-in. The scrum went off the boil in the second half, with Dan unfortunate to be a focal point as the replacement hooker. Worked hard to impress on his debut, and keen to carry. However he spilt one carry in the matches closing moments.

17. Bevan Rodd 5 - Only given 10 minutes to make an impact, in what came at a time when England heads were dropped. Coming on for his captain, as Genge had emptied the tank, Rodd struggled to lift the spirits for a late comeback push.

18. Kyle Sinckler 5.5 - Brought on for Will Stuart, after England began to slip in the scrum, but had limited impact. His experience seemed irrelevant as England's set-piece structure collapsed without steady leadership. The 'friendly' matter of the game saw Sinckler keep his head, but he will in no doubt be ultra-fired up for the return match at Twickenham.

19. Jonny Hill 6 - This was Hill's opportunity to make a statement, after no involvement in the 2023 Six Nations. On for Ribbands after 45 minutes, as the lock departed for a HIA. Hill had a quieter match than he would have hoped, yet Borthwick did see some strong carries, tackles and good line speed from the Sale lock.

20. Tom Willis 6.5 - Not off to the hottest of starts in an England jersey, but the soon to be Saracen would be relieved to get his debut under his belt. England struggled up front in the matches latter stages, and was unable to replicate any heroics akin to his brother Jack. Still a solid debut, hoping for more in the future.

21. Jack van Poortvliet 6 - Brought on at an awkward time of the match, it took JVP a good while to settle into proceedings. Taking over the reigns from the experienced Danny Care, van Poortvliet had to adapt in what is an irregular replacement in the total absence of Ben Youngs. He kicked well, and organised his side, and will be hungry for more at Twickenham.

22. George Ford 6 - It will be interesting to see if Borthwick selects his former Leicester Tigers halfback for the return match against Wales. Ford by no means had a bad game, yet he didn't light up the pitch like Smith did. Coming on for the final 20 minutes, Ford had enough time to stamp his mark, in what could well have been a battle to become Owen Farrell's understudy for the World Cup.

23. Henry Slade 5 - Similar to Bevan Rodd, Slade was only given 10 minutes to pick up the pieces. He didn't have a memorable match, and his presence seemed to disrupt the order with Marchant moving out to the wing. Malins was removed, with Slade slotting in at centre. Unfortunately, the clock was against the Exeter Chiefs man, who will hope for more time to shine in upcoming matches.