5 things England learned from a challenging autumn

England ended their autumn with a 59-14 victory over Japan at Allianz Stadium that halted their five-Test losing run.

Here the PA news agency examines five things learned from the campaign.

Blitz defence is no longer a strength

An autumn consisting of three defeats has seen England take a backwards step and nowhere is the decline more visible than in defence.

The aggressive ‘blitz’ system that rattled the All Blacks in July has become a weakness since its mastermind, Felix Jones, resigned during the summer.

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Joe El-Abd is now in charge of the defence and the change in personnel has led to confusion, resulting in 14 tries and 109 points being conceded in the four matches.

Leaking an average of 27.25 points each game is the path to ruin – home or away.

Fin offers alternative in battle of the Smiths

Marcus Smith has been England’s most electric player this month, but a debate has opened up over whether his individual brilliance in attack is stifling his backline, especially centres Henry Slade and Ollie Lawrence.

Adding to the case for a disconnect is Fin Smith’s assured 26-minute cameo off the bench, which brought greater cohesion to the way the threequarters functioned.

Of course with Japan already on the ropes, the stage was set for the younger fly-half to shine, but there was still enough evidence to suggest the Smith fly-half duel is far from settled.

Mitchell missed amid scrum-half struggles

As 2024 draws to a close Alex Mitchell’s position as first choice scrum-half looks unassailable – and he has yet to play this season.

A neck injury has sidelined Mitchell since the summer tour to Japan and New Zealand and in his absence England have been unable to settle on a desirable alternative.

Ben Spencer and Jack van Poortvliet made two starts each but neither seized the opportunity, while Harry Randall’s impact off the bench has been minimal.

A key position lacks depth, making Mitchell’s swift recovery vital for the Six Nations.

England are ordinary

England are seventh in the global rankings and they can have no complaints with their position.

A disappointing 2024 consisting of five wins in 12 Tests has confirmed them to be a middling rugby nation, capable of knocking over weaker sides but unable to topple the heavyweights with any consistency.

However, the mediocrity is not confined to 2024 as revealed by a remarkable statistic showing that in the last two decades, they have won just 27.3 per cent of games against sides who have ended the year ranked inside the top four.

English mediocrity since winning the 2003 World Cup is fully entrenched.

Borthwick faces moment of truth

It is against that backdrop that a seismic Six Nations opener against Ireland in Dublin looms menacingly on the horizon.

Steve Borthwick has been tasked by the Rugby Football Union to produce a minimum of four wins in the championship as pressure builds on the head coach.

To date the RFU has given its full backing to Borthwick, but the next block of fixtures are shaping up to be a pivotal stage in his reign.