Player ratings: Scotland the brave

Scotland had their hearts broken at Eden Park in Auckland on Saturday, after leading their old enemies England for most of the game, only to fade in the closing stages.

The Scots played with plenty of passionate intensity but, ultimately, made a few crucial errors which let England back into the game.

Scotland took the game by the scruff of the neck early on and looked to have the English rattled as they got on the front foot in the set-pieces and forced their opponents to play from deep in their own half.

However, they struggled to keep it going in the second forty minutes and lacked the finishing touch to make any of the opportunities they created count.

It was a fighting display, but after controlling the game for long periods they will feel aggrieved at coming up short in the way they did.

Michael de Vries rates the Scotland players:

15 Chris Paterson:
A determined performance from the veteran. He joined the line well and was, solid under the high ball and his goalkicking was spot-on as usual.
7/10

14 Max Evans:
Showed great commitment and was very lively. He looked dangerous with the ball but also came off his wing and looked for work. A few basic errors like spilling a high ball and sending the ball wide to Ansbro when he should have straightened just short of the line.
6/10

13 Joe Ansbro:
Was solid at outside centre, doing the basics well but looked more threatening in a bit of space out on the wing in the second half. Showed that he can be an incisive runner although perhaps lacks the speed to make it count.
6/10

12 Sean Lamont:
Had a storming game at inside centre, he is a strong runner who gets over the gainline easily and looks to create opportunities for those outside him. Strong on defence and made plenty of ground with the ball in hand.
8/10

11 Simon Danielli:
Did not see much action in the first half but got a couple of opportunities when the game opened up. Put in a great chip and chase nearly scored, but perhaps goes to the boot too often.
6/10

10 Ruaridh Jackson:
Came off after five minutes with a hamstring injury and was replaced by Dan Parks. Not enough time to be rated.

9 Mike Blair:
Outplayed his opposite number in an assured performance. Although his passing was erratic he asked plenty of questions of the English defence with a few snipping breaks and quick taps and harassed Ben Youngs all night.
8/10

8 Richie Vernon:
A committed performance, he chased hard and did not hold back at all but tended to isolate himself when he had the ball and got caught in possession a few times.
7/10

7 John Barclay:
A hard-working effort, he did the basics well but did not impose himself on the opposition.
6/10

6 Ally Strokosch:
Tackled his heart out and put plenty of pressure on the English at ruck-time. Had a strong if unspectacular game.
6/10

5 Alastair Kellock (captain):
Led from the front and gave absolutely everything for the cause, was a menace at line-out time putting plenty of pressure on England’s throws.
7/10

4 Richie Gray:
Carried the ball up with gusto and was very eager to make an impact but got carried away at times and gave away some penalties at the breakdown. He was a towering presence in the line-outs and almost scored an unlikely try out on the wing. 
7/10

3 Euan Murray:
A big performance from the massive tighthead. Relished the contest at scrum-time, and showed his value by giving Matt Stevens a seriously hard time.
8/10

2 Ross Ford:
A decent outing, he showed plenty of intent and put his body on the line but also made a few errors which halted his side’s momentum.
6/10

1 Allan Jacobsen:
It was clear that he was pumped up for this one. Pressurised Dan Cole in the scrums and did not let him forget it either with a few choice words afterwards. Not a flawless performance but he showed plenty of intensity and heart.
7/10

Replacements:

16 Scott Lawson:
Not used

17 Alasdair Dickinson (On for Allen Jacobsen, 67th min):
Injected some enthusiasm when he came on but the scrum was under pressure late in the game and he played largely off the back foot.
6/10

18 Nathan Hines (On for John Barclay 63rd min):
Made an impact winning a turnover and tackling hard.
7/10

19 Ross Rennie (On for Ally Strokosch, 63rd min):
Battled hard and made his tackles but did not make much impact.
6/10

20 Chris Cusiter (On for Mike Blair, 71st min):
Not enough time to be rated

21 Dan Parks (On for Ruaridh Jackson, fifth min):
A sterling performance after cried off early. His kicking out of hand was top drawer; he seemed to have the ball on a string at times. Clearly comfortable in the bad conditions and pushed England back time and again. Made a good intercept to turn defence into attack and even showed that he can pass as well.
9/10

22 Nick de Luca (On for Max Evans, half-time):
A bit of a mixed bag, no doubt he made an impact with some good running and he stayed strong on his feet in contact but also threw some dodgy passes and then fumbled the ball with the line at his mercy
6/10