Once the dust has settled on an acrimonious end to Sunday’s 27-23 victory over Argentina, England can reflect on a satisfying autumn clean sweep of four wins that has extended their winning run to 11 Tests. Here, we examine five things learned from the campaign.
On the rise
England are building confidently towards the 2027 World Cup just a year after the Rugby Football Union was forced to give its backing to head coach Steve Borthwick in the wake of five consecutive defeats. No one is asking questions about his future at the end of a 2025 that has produced 11 wins in 12 Tests and has seen the team take significant strides forward, most notably in their capacity to close out tight games they would previously have lost and in the depth that has been added to the squad. South Africa remain the game’s dominant force, but England are among the chasing pack.
Bomb squad detonates
Joe Heyes and Guy Pepper are breakout stars of the autumn but Borthwick’s best find has been the ‘Bomb Squad’ – a heavyweight bench of British and Irish Lions forwards whose second-half arrival turned the tide against Australia, Fiji and New Zealand. The sight of Ellis Genge, Luke Cowan-Dickie, Will Stuart, Tom Curry and Henry Pollock prowling the sidelines ahead of their entrance on to the field generated an air of anticipation at Twickenham that was justified by their impact. England’s growing depth – especially in the front row – has enabled Borthwick to unleash some of his most experienced performers on the decisive phase of the match.
Ford in pole position
On the evidence of this autumn, George Ford will be England’s fly-half at the 2027 World Cup. He will be 34 by the time the tournament in Australia arrives but his tactical masterclass against New Zealand was evidence of a player operating at the peak of his powers. Crucially, Ford excelled in the pivotal stage of the match. Fin Smith, his closest rival for the playmaking duties and the man in possession during the Six Nations, is stronger in defence but currently competing against the finished article. Marcus Smith, meanwhile, is proving his value as fly-half and full-back cover whose X-factor can change a game.
Twelves take centre stage
England’s search for a front line inside centre has spanned years – and now they have multiple options. Fraser Dingwall produced the standout performance of his seven caps against New Zealand as part of an impressive midfield combination with Ollie Lawrence while a week later Max Ojomoh celebrated his Twickenham debut by setting up two tries and finishing one himself. A third option is Seb Atkinson, who was influential during the summer tour to Argentina but missed the autumn because of a knee injury.
Blackett shines
England’s coaching team has a settled look after the upheaval of last year caused by the sudden departures of Felix Jones and Aled Walters, with Lee Blackett already proving a valuable addition. Building on the work started by Richard Wigglesworth, Blackett has sharpened an attack that has an aggressive mindset of looking for line breaks and tries. The kick-heavy win against Argentina aside, England are showing greater variety and aggression with the ball in hand under their attack coach.