"Nailed on for 2025 Six Nations" – England's 5 Best Players of the 2024 Autumn Nations Series

Today at 09:58 AM

England’s involvement in the 2024 Autumn Nations Series has come to a close, with the campaign being one to forget for Steve Borthwick’s side. Despite impressing in each of their four fixtures, England only achieved one win throughout the month, as they dismantled Eddie Jones’ Japan 59-14 this past weekend.

England would be happy to end the year on a high, and bring a close to their run of five consecutive Test match defeats that stretched back to their Summer tour of New Zealand. England endured three consecutive losses against the All Blacks (two Summer one Autumn), before their agonizing defeat to Australia infuriated the fans. The subsequent nine point loss to South Africa was a respectable one due to the calibre of the opposition, as England held their own against the two time World Champions for the majority of the contest.

Whilst it would be easy to dwell on the negative elements of England’s past Autumn campaign, there were certainly plenty of stand-out performances that shone through the rough. We expect all five of these players to retain their places in Steve Borthwick’s squad, when the England head coach pens in his picks for the 2025 Six Nations campaign. Here are the five best England players, following the close of their Autumn Nations Series.

1. Marcus Smith (Harlequins)

Is England’s arduous fly half debate finally over? Marcus Smith looks to be the nailed on choice to lead England’s back-line, after an excellent showing all throughout the Autumn Nations Series. Smith continues to electrify the Allianz Stadium, with the England fans lifted out of their seats time and again by the mesmeric Harlequins halfback.

It could be argued that George Ford’s missed-placed match winning kicks against the All Blacks, favored Smith’s claim for the starting 10 shirt. Smith would not be substituted off for the remainder of the Autumn Series, with the talisman also shuffled along the line to fullback, for the latter stages of the Tests against Australia and Japan. Smith’s dynamism was unmatched in England’s attack, and the fly half rightly lived up to Springboks captain Siya Kolisi’s billing that “he makes things happen around him.”

AUTUMN SERIES HIGHLIGHTS:

1. Finishing the campaign as the top points scorer, with nine penalties and 13 conversions (53 points).

2. Awesome carry to skip past three Springboks defenders and provide the assist for Ollie Sleightholme

3. Started every match in the 10 shirt and cemented his claim to be England’s starting fly half

2. Ben Earl (Saracens)

There is simply no shifting Ben Earl from England’s back row, as the Saracen was excellent in each and every one of his appearances this Autumn. From his reunion with Ardie Savea in the All Blacks pack, to wrestling with the heaviest carriers the Springboks could throw at him, Earl stepped up on the defensive foot for England and never took a backwards step as they continued to utilise their ‘blitz’ approach.

Earl set the tone with the opening try of the final Test, as England blasted Japan out of the water with a try within 10 minutes. Earl gave quite the satiricle ‘thumbs-up’ to the England crowd behind the posts, as if to respond to the criticism the side had received after three consecutive Autumn defeats. An animated character who always wears his heart on his sleeve, Earl’s annoyance at the Australia defeat was evident, and he utilised this anger into impressive performances of unadulterated aggression.

AUTUMN SERIES HIGHLIGHTS:

1. Giving the ‘double thumbs-up’ after scoring England’s opening try against Japan

2. Not missing a minute of the action as one of England’s Autumn iron-men

3. Showcasing his versatility to play at both number eight and on the flanks for England

3. Ollie Sleightholme (Northampton Saints)

England’s break out star of the Autumn Series was without a doubt Ollie Sleightholme, and the Northampton Saints wing capped off the campaign with the Player of the Match award in the win against Japan. Sleightholme had earned his England debut in the previous Summer, with a couple of cameo appearences against the All Blacks on the tour of New Zealand. Sleightholme rolled this momentum on into some memorable performances, as he took the fight to Australia, South Africa and Japan.

Sleightholme managed to keep a high tempo despite yo-yoing on and off the pitch three times against the Wallabies, as he replaced Ollie Lawrence and Manny Feyi-Waboso’s HIA departures and returns. Sleightholme grabbed too tries against the Wallabies, and it was the injury to the latter Chiefs wing that opened up the door for his first Test star. The young Saints wing wasted no time with an early score against South Africa, before adding his fourth try of the campaign the following week against Japan.

AUTUMN SERIES HIGHLIGHTS:

1. A stunning grubber kick chase to score a solo try along the touchline against Japan

2. Yo-yoing on and off as a replacement against Australia and scoring two impressive tries

3. Scoring within three minutes against the Springboks as England started hot out the gate

4. Chandler Cunningham-South (Harlequins)

Despite being named on the subs bench for the majority of England’s Autumn Nations fixtures, there were few players in Borthwick’s squad that racked up more minutes than Chandler Cunningham-South. The dread-locked juggernaut was called upon in the early goings against Australia and Japan, as he exploaded off the bench in replace of the injured Tom Curry and Sam Underhill. Never faultering on either the attacking or defensive side of the ball, the Harlequin made some monstrous hits and backed it up with some excellent try scoring to boot.

Cunningham-South was the stand-out defensive player in England’s opening round defeat to the All Blacks, with the pick of his hammering highlight reel being the picture-perfect hit on Tupou Vaa’i, that forced a knock on from the New Zealand lock. The back row shone in attack against Australia, as he scored back-to-back tries in the early goings and channeled his inner Cole Palmer with the celebration for the brace.

1. That earth shaking hit on All Blacks lock Tupou Vaa’i that echoed around the Allianz Stadium

2. Bagging back-to-back tries in the early goings against Australia, complete with ‘Cold’ celebration

3. Answering the call with 65 minute replacement run-outs as Curry and Underhill went down injured

5. Ellis Genge (Bristol Bears)

A sizable spanner was thrown into the works, when Joe Marler confirmed his intentions to quit the England camp in the second week of the Autumn Series. Question marks were around Marler’s lack of involvement against the All Blacks, after the loose-head sparked a war of words by criticizing the Haka on social media. Up stepped Ellis Genge as England’s nailed on number one, and the Bristol Bears man made good upon his involvements after missing out on the Summer tour of Japan and New Zealand.

Genge’s finest performance of the four successive starts came against Australia, wioth plenty of pre-match focus upon the battle at scrum-time. It speaks volumes of a pack when the Springboks are not the most feared pack in a series of fixtures, yet the Wallabies had the ‘Tongan Thor’ in their ranks. Genge would nullify the 145kg threat of Taniela Tupou, and carried the momentum forward for a strong set-piece outing against South Africa. Genge would feel like he made amends from the Rugby World Cup scrum collapse calamity, which saw the Springboks scrape a win in the semi-final to England’s chugrin.

1. Stepping up to be England’s starting loose-head following Joe Marler’s international retirement

2. Taking on the ‘Tongan Thor’ Taniela Tupou and winning two scrum penalties against Australia

3. An excellent offload to keep the ball alive in the run-up to Cunningham-South try against Australia

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