Report card: Rating all 35 England players from the 2025 July Tests

July was a good month for England – three wins, debuts handed out and a crucial rise to fifth in the world rankings with the World Cup draw later this year.

With so many players unavailable, there were some concerns as to how Steve Borthwick’s side would perform, particularly following England XV’s loss to France XV in June. But the team exceeded expectations handsomely, with an incorrigible defence being a pillar of their success.

There will now be many British & Irish Lions players who watched England’s games and will know that their position in Borthwick’s starting XV will be far from secure when the autumn comes around.

So here are the players’ ratings over the July tour, with the respective rankings of the sides they faced (Argentina were ranked above England in fifth ahead of the first Test, while the USA are ranked 16th), influencing the scores they were given.

Full-back
Freddie Steward – 8
Started in both Pumas matches in his return to the Test set-up, and rested for the third. Looked to have developed his attacking game with some slick handling and threatening running lines, and came away with two tries. Not as domineering under the high ball as he usually is, but solid nevertheless.

Joe Carpenter – 7
Cool under pressure in his debut against the US. Secure under the high ball and classy on the counter. Came close to a try on debut, but it was chalked off due to a knock-on by Cadan Murley.

Wing
Tom Roebuck – 8.5
A revelation on the right wing in what were just his second and third Test starts against Argentina. Two tries, aerial dominance, and a knack for big plays make him one of England’s breakthrough backs of the tour and a real rival for Lion Tommy Freeman’s No.14 shirt when he returns. His relationship with Sale Sharks team-mate George Ford was noticeable.

Will Muir – 8
Slick hands, explosive running and chases kicks with the enthusiasm of a dog chasing a stick. A reliable link-man out wide who elevated England’s phase attack in his two starts facing handy opponents in Rodrigo Isgro and Matias Moroni. Looked like a seasoned international rather than a debutant at the beginning of the month.

Cadan Murley – 7.5
Two threatening cameos from the bench in the first two matches, which included a try in the first Test, were followed by a start against the USA where the Harlequins star grabbed another try, proving troublesome with almost every carry he made. Good to see the 25-year-old lay any demons from the Six Nations to rest.

Immanuel Feyi-Waboso – 6.5
Missed the South American leg while he served a ban and showed some bright flashes against the Eagles, particularly with his break to put Harry Randall in for a try. That was only his second match of 2025 (following 35 minutes before his red card against France XV in June), and there were some signs of rustiness with a few handling errors.

Centre
Luke Northmore – 7.5
Replaced the injured Henry Slade for the second Test in San Juan to make his debut and looked comfortable in all areas, linking with Max Ojomoh for a try in Washington, D.C. A viable option for that No.13 jersey even when Ollie Lawrence returns from injury.

Seb Atkinson – 8.5
Gritty on debut with a Herculean 21 tackles and grew into his role in the two starts against the Pumas. A sin-bin blemish (for multiple team infringements), but brought physicality, smart running lines, and even his first try when completing a slick move.

Max Ojomoh – 7.5
The standout debutant for England at Audi Field. Defensively ferocious and a dual-playmaker threat in attack. Huge upside, and we wait to see him prove himself against higher-ranked opposition.

Henry Slade – 6.5
Kudos for soldiering on with a broken hand for the entire first Test, but that obviously cut his series short. Defensively solid in his one appearance, though his handling appeared to be compromised understandably.

Oscar Beard – 6
One half-chance down the left flank in a 20-minute debut from the bench for the 23-year-old Quin in the final match of the tour. Hard to judge fairly off scraps.

Fly-half
George Ford – 9.5
Master conductor throughout. Tactical kicking, crisp passing and leadership were elite with some inexperienced players outside him. England’s tour talisman and star performer – surely the best player from Britain and Ireland that isn’t currently touring Australia. Became a centurion to make the tour even more memorable.

Charlie Atkinson – 6
Limited opportunities to shine but clean in his basic duties during his 20-minute debut in the States. More to come.

Scrum-half
Ben Spencer – 7
Dependable if unspectacular in the two starts against Felipe Contepomi’s side. Controlled the pace well but lacked the dynamism of his deputy Jack van Poortvliet in open play, but that is sometimes the difference between a starter and a substitute.

Jack van Poortvliet – 7.5
Electric off the bench with a key try to win the second Test against Argentina and lively against the USA. Just needs to sharpen his game control, which is where Spencer and Lion Alex Mitchell may just be ahead of him.

Harry Randall – 7
Injected serious pace off the bench in his only appearance against the US and picked up a deserved try. Made his case for more Test minutes.

Fixture

Internationals

England

23:10

1 Nov 25

Australia

All Stats and Data

Loosehead
Fin Baxter – 8
High work-rate and physicality, particularly in defence. Looks ready to step up as a long-term loosehead option. Ellis Genge has equally been in top form for the Lions, which means he will probably remain first-choice for England, but this is a close one.

Bevan Rodd – 6.5
Solid enough across all three games, and impactful when it mattered, especially in the scrums versus the USA.

Hooker
Jamie George – 9
Led from the front in his one outing before his Lions call-up. Defensive monster, lineout boss and a calm head in chaos – chiefly his try-line defence.

Theo Dan – 5
A rough day in the second Test, where he started having only played five minutes from the bench the week before, but lacked sharpness in key moments before picking up an injury. Needs to rebound quickly.

Curtis Langdon – 6
A reliable shift as a substitute in the second Test victory in San Juan but struggled at times with lineout timing against the US. Scored a try to finish his tour, but showed there is a gap between Lions George and Luke Cowan-Dickie, and the rest.

Gabriel Oghre – 6.5
A noteworthy, albeit brief, debut in a 20-minute cameo on the east coast of America was filled with a try, some punchy carries and well-timed tip-ons.

Tighthead
Joe Heyes – 8.5
Colossal at the scrum and led the tackle count for England in the second Pumas Test. Forced himself firmly into the starting conversation even with Lion Will Stuart back. A coming-of-age tour.

Asher Opoku-Fordjour – 7
Showed promise in the loose against the Pumas with beefy carries and provided stability at scrum time against an admittedly weaker US scrum. The 21-year-old probably didn’t do enough to work his way into Borthwick’s preferred matchday 23 yet, but didn’t damage his chances either.

Trevor Davison – 6
A quiet return to Test rugby but held up his end in a dominant front-row effort against the Eagles.

Second-row
Charlie Ewels – 7.5
With Maro Itoje, Ollie Chessum and George Martin absent, the Bath star did the dirty work with minimal fuss and few errors. A decent comeback having famously received red cards in his last two England outings. His tour might be remembered for the gruesome dislocated finger he suffered, though, which he bounced back from to continue playing minutes after getting it treated.

Alex Coles – 7
One of two players to start all three Tests, and the 2.07m forward brought the tireless attitude in the engine room that he shows every week for Northampton Saints. His discipline was a slight concern, but nothing too calamitous for his side. Work rate never in doubt. Didn’t get a chance to shift into the back-row on tour, which would have further exhibited his versatility and usefulness in the England squad.

Arthur Clark – 6.5
A quiet achiever on debut stateside. Key lineout steals and physicality in the tight exchanges suggest a bright Test future for 23-year-old Gloucester lock.

Back-row
Ben Curry – 7.5
Tackled his heart out but did concede a yellow in the second Test for a dangerous shot. The Sale star was possibly working his way back to full fitness after missing the tail end of the season with a hamstring injury, but looked to be firing on all cylinders come the end. After two starts, he was a finisher in the final match, but showed why that may actually be his best role as he lifted England’s tempo, with his all-court game contributing towards almost every good piece of play in his half hour on the field.

Sam Underhill – 8.5
Vintage Underhill. Relentless tackling and relentless line speed, which was the cornerstone of England’s wins in La Plata and San Juan. When England needed heart, he brought it. A timely reminder that he can still star in England’s stacked back-row after missing the Six Nations.

11 – Tom Willis beat 11 defenders v Argentina, the most by any player in a Test at the weekend and the joint most by a forward against a Tier 1 nation since Opta have recorded this data:

CJ Stander – 11 v 🇮🇹, 2017
Vaea Fifita – 11 v 🇦🇷, 2017
Tom Willis – 11 v 🇦🇷, 2025

Bounce. pic.twitter.com/eZz4gmNpYd

— OptaJonny (@OptaJonny) July 7, 2025

Tom Willis – 9
A towering presence in the two wins over the Pumas at the back of the scrum, and just looked freakishly strong on the ball, even when at a standing start. Endless brutal carries, strong defence and work at the breakdown; he deserved his week off at the end. The Saracen’s stock is now sky-high and his club-mate Ben Earl may need to think about playing on the flank come the autumn.

Chandler Cunningham-South – 7
Sparingly used as a replacement lock in Argentina, with minimal impact, the 22-year-old was handed a start in his preferred No.6 jersey for the final match, and he showed why that is his best position. Simply manhandled some of the USA’s strongest ball-carriers, stopping them dead in their tracks and even ripping the ball from their clutches. Answered the call to be a back-row enforcer, and just needs to do it against more formidable opposition.

Guy Pepper – 8
Handed his debut from the bench in La Plata, which was solid enough, but his Test career really ignited the week later. With the game in the balance, the 22-year-old showed he is far more than just a breakdown maestro with a handful of linebreaks and the assist for the late match-winner. Maybe quieter than he would have hoped in his start against the USA, but he stood up when England needed him most and against sterner opposition.

Alex Dombrandt – 5.5
A promising appearance from the bench to help England earn a tight victory over Argentina was followed by a start against the USA full of plenty of endeavour, but one where things just didn’t quite click for him.

Ted Hill – 5.5
Had the fewest minutes of anyone on this list with only 15 minutes at the end of the series. England’s back-row is quite possibly the most competitive unit in Test rugby currently, but it is nevertheless baffling why Borthwick is so reluctant to give the athletic Bath star extended game time.