ENGLAND
- Head coach: Eddie Jones
- Star player: Freddie Steward
- Underperformer: Sam Underhill
- Record: Three wins
- Grade: A
England will be pleased with their performances throughout the series, but Jones’ sights will be set on improvements to crucial areas ahead of the 2022 six nations.
Positives: Fans seem genuinely excited by the changing of the guard, with Freddie Steward and Marcus Smith amongst others coming into the fold. It was especially great to see Smith run the game against the Springboks with the 22-year-old slotting the winning penalty being the icing on the cake. The way England ended the series left people wanting more – a stark contrast to the shambles of an ending to the Autumn Nations Cup 12 months ago.
Negatives: Some issues in the front row, but that was clearly down to players being unavailable. Their back-row was another area of concern; appearing unbalanced in almost every game until Tom Curry moved back to the flank where he’s more comfortable. Fans will also be rightly nervous that Jones will try to wedge Owen Farrell back into the team when he returns from injury. Don’t do it, Eddie!
RESULTS:
- England 69-3 Tonga
- England 32-15 Australia
- England 27-26 South Africa