Error code: %{errorCode}

Rugby Union

Former England star Chris Ashton picks England’s best players from Italy victory

Former England star Chris Ashton picks England’s best players from Italy victoryDavid Rogers/Getty Images
There were two standout performers.

Former England star Chris Ashton picked out two star players for England over Italy in the Six Nations.

Steve Borthwick’s side travelled to Rome for their tournament-opening tie and while they were far from at their best, they managed to record a 27-24 win.

Their next match is to welcome Wales to Twickenham, with the visitors looking to get over their 27-26 defeat to Scotland in their first game.

Speaking to Gambling Zone, Ashton picked out Tommy Freeman and Ethan Roots as the best players for the men in white on Saturday.

He said: “I was really impressed by Tommy Freeman. He didn’t let his lack of touches of the ball in the early part of the game get to him. He didn’t get frustrated. I thought he did everything that was asked of him really well.

"He was the player that opened up Italy. He was the player that looked a constant threat towards the Italian defence. He looked really strong, fast and England’s main threat. Tommy is definitely one of the players that caught my eye on the weekend.

“Ethan Roots did a proper back row job against Italy. Tackling, rucking, doing his carries that aren’t flash, just the hard stuff. He put in a textbook performance for a number six.”

Discussing Wales vs Scotland’s frenetic finish, he added: “I think that Scotland thought they had the match won, and you can understand why with such a commanding score at half time. Normally what happens in those circumstances is that you would expect Wales to come back into it and score a few points early in the second half, but you kill the game off in the last thirty minutes with a bonus point.”

Live on DAZN: Super Bowl LVIII for just £0.99. Click here for details.

Watch on YouTube