Following the conclusion of the 2024 Autumn Nations Series, we update you on the state of the participating nations. Next up, it’s Steve Borthwick’s England.
Autumn Nations Series Summary
Standout Players
To identify standouts from a season so mediocre is a labour worthy of Hercules himself. But the good news was that tighthead Will Stuart showed immense development, both in the loose and in the scrummage, pushing himself right to the top of the list of Borthwick’s choices at three.
“He’s not an eight” is one of the more regular tropes seen on social media where Ben Earl is concerned. But in the Autumn Nations Series, he topped ruck interventions, carries, metres made by a forward and tackles. There’s little doubt he is indeed an eight, and a darn good one, offering a real point of difference from the base, where he carries with huge velocity.
The one new thing that England did discover is that Ollie Sleightholme loves a try, and the Saints flyer did everything he could to move his case forward, grabbing four tries, two versus Australia and one apiece against South Africa and Japan.
Marcus Smith had some moments of brilliance and for many he’s nailed the ten shirt down for some time to come. But does he offer the structure that England crave as a rugby nation? Or is it all a little frenetic and uncontrolled, working as a brilliant individual rather than a team facilitator?
A shout-out must go to the carries and clatters of Chandler Cunningham-South as he showed enormous promise, but needs to improve his breakdown presence and 80-minute consistency.
Success Story
Main Regret
