England 21-13 Ireland PLAYER RATINGS: Jonny May in line for World Cup start after fine display but Tom Youngs remains shaky

• Jonny May and Anthony Watson both scored tries for England
• England led Ireland 12-3 at half-time interval of the warm-up match
• Stuart Lancaster's side face Fiji in their opening World Cup clash 

By Sam Peters for MailOnline

Published: 10:43 EST, 5 September 2015 | Updated: 11:00 EST, 5 September 2015

England won their final World Cup warm-up match against Ireland thanks to a narrow 21-13 win against their rivals at Twickenham.

Stuart Lancaster will be hoping his side can replicate their impressive first-half performance during the upcoming World Cup. 

Sportsmail's Sam Peters was there to run the rule over the two teams.

ENGLAND 

BROWN – Exceptional under the high ball and a threat in attack. Looks to getting back to his best after concussion issues. 7

WATSON – Poses a threat every time he gets the ball with his dazzling feet and electric pace. A hugely exciting prospect. 8

JOSEPH – Looked razor-sharp in the first half but drifted out of the game a little in the second. Defensively very solid. 7

Jonny May celebrates at Twickenham after scoring a try during England's final warm-up match

BARRITT (BURGESS 59) – First game in England shirt since November last year saw him make a tidy and highly effective contribution. 7

MAY – Superb performance which will heap pressure on Jack Nowell for starting spot. Devilish pace and unlucky not to score two tries. 8

FORD (FARRELL 59) – Tidy display saw him link well with Youngs. His distribution qualities highlighted when replacement Farrell butchered try-scoring opportunity. 7

B YOUNGS (WIGGLESWORTH 59) – Bossed the game very well in first half and proved threat with ball in hand while tactical kicking was first rate. 8

England's Ben Youngs kicks the ball up-field during what proved to be a fine display by the scrum half 

MARLER (M VUNIPOLA 56) – One bulldozing run stood out but did plenty of unseen work as well. England’s scrum still creaking though. 7

T YOUNGS (GEORGE 59) – Such a shame his line-out throwing remains shaky because his work in the loose is exceptional. 6

Tom Youngs put in a shaky performance during his final chance to shine ahead of the World Cup

COLE (BROOKES 62) – Made a nuisance of himself at the breakdown but scrum remains a concern. More carries needed. 6

PARLING (Launchbury 44 mins) – A slow start but gained more influence as first-half wore on. Contributed to improved line-out display before being replaced with shoulder problem. 7

LAWES – Carried superbly in first half and tackled effectively without being at his destructive best. Decent shift. 7

George Ford converts the ball to help his side claim a slender victory against rivals Ireland

WOOD – Carried effectively and strong at the breakdown but losing ball in contact to Jonny Sexton with line beckoning will haunt him. 8

ROBSHAW (C) – Took fight to Ireland from first whistle and maintained usual excellent work-rate. Carried well. 7

MORGAN (B VUNIPOLA 56) – Struggled to influence game with his usual powerful driving game and doubts persist over his readiness after brave fight back from injury. 6 

Sam Burgess passes on possession as England team-mate Owen Farrell looks on in the background

IRELAND

ZEBO – A couple of telling runs and solid defensive work but looks more at home on the wing. 6

BOWE – Will not remember Jonny May’s first-half try with any fondness as Ireland’s winger was steam-rollered embarrassingly . 5

PAYNE – Marshalled Joseph effectively but does not pose a huge threat in attack. Tidy but unspectacular. 6

Jared Payne (right, pictured with Ford) was good defensively but struggled when attacking England

HENSHAW (MADIGAN 60) – Strong ball carrier and excellent defender. Enjoyed a decent tussle with Barritt which ended honours even. 6

KEARNEY – One very good first-half carry but is not a winger to get the crowd off their feet. 6

SEXTON (CAVE 56) – Nowhere near his best behind an Irish pack whose set-piece was decent but struggled to gain a foothold at breakdown. 5

MURRAY (REDDAN 17) – Had no real platform to work from before being replaced after appearing to be concussed. 6

MCGRATH – Scrummaged well and solid work around the field without dominating physically. 6

BEST (STRAUSS 61) – Strong set-piece contribution from the veteran hooker. Edged his battle with Tom Youngs. 7

Rory Best and Simon Zebo team up to tackle England fly half Ford during the pre-World Cup clash

ROSS (WHITE 59) – A very tidy scrummager who offers almost nothing in the loose. An old-fashioned front-row forward. 6

TONER – Excellent line-out contribution from the giant second row. Exceptionally high work rate. 7

O’CONNELL (C) – Scored Ireland’s only try but looked a bit leggy. Hardly surprising considering the shift he’s done. 6

O’MAHONY – Very little impact on the game and was outplayed by opposite man Wood. 5

O’BRIEN (HENRY 61) – Another Irish forward who struggled to make his mark in a poor display. 5

HEASLIP – Like the rest of his back-row colleagues he was strangely anonymous in a game to forget for Ireland. 5 

Ireland's Jamie Heaslip was relatively quiet during the 80 minutes of play at Twickenham 

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