The Bath Rugby Number 8 was unfortunate not to be named player-of-the-match on the night for his performance as the Welsh suffered a narrow loss at the Principality Stadium.

With ball in hand, Faletau made 65 metres from 14 carries, beating one defender and making two offloads – one of which almost saw Jonathan Davies cross the whitewash.

Defensively he was also sound. In total, he made eight tackles including one which prevented a certain French try.

Charlie Ewels started for England but saw red inside two minutes for an unfortunate head-on-head collision. Eddie Jones’ side put in a spirited effort, however came up short against Ireland.

Prop Will Stuart came on just before half-time and contributed to a fantastic England scrum that won a number of penalties. He made nine tackles in an impressive display.

Ewan Richards and John Stewart were named in England Under-20s starting XV for their match with Ireland at StoneX Stadium.

Richards was making his sixth outing at Under-20 level while Stewart was appearing for a fourth time. They came out on the wrong end of the result but gained another valuable experience for their development.

International round-up: Faletau stars as Wales come up just short v France

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