Alex Lowe England benefited from not playing South Africa whereas France lost to a 14-man Springboks team but Steve Borthwick’s men lead the chasing pack on the basis they have made moves this year.
Will Kelleher Sort of, but there is such a distance between South Africa and the rest that you feel Ireland, France, England and New Zealand are all on the second rung. If England beat Ireland and win in Paris in the Six Nations they are clearly the second-best.
Stephen Jones No. England, with their run of home games and no fixture against South Africa, have not remotely earned the right for that claim. Have they beaten New Zealand away? Would they beat the full Pumas in Buenos Aires? Will they beat France away when Antoine Dupont returns from injury for Les Bleus? It’s still France.
England won all four of their November Tests but do they need to beat France in the Six Nations to show they are Europe’s best side?
SANDRA MAILER/SHUTTERSTOCK
Owen Slot If we all say yes then we’ll be accused of English arrogance. Right now, I still think France are better; by the end of the Six Nations, maybe not.
Steve James England are undoubtedly the coming team. I still think they need Fin Smith at fly half if they are to topple South Africa, though. He would have been just as effective as George Ford against New Zealand given England’s superior physicality that day. He is too good not to be playing.
Elgan Alderman Yes, but that may change when Dupont returns for France. England are steadier, but France with their maestro have the higher ceiling.
What did you learn this autumn that you didn’t already know?
Alex Lowe World Rugby does respect front-row players after all. Ox Nché was the first prop nominated for world player of the year and Malcolm Marx became the first hooker to win it since Keith Wood took the inaugural award in 2001.
Will Kelleher That permanent red cards can be given and not only for gratuitous acts of foul play. This is against all previous guidance we had. And also that the All Blacks are definitely a middle-of-the-road team now.
Stephen Jones Claims by biased Springboks fans that they have the best and also second-best teams in the world may well be true. And that England’s attack coach, Lee Blackett, is even better than we imagined.
Wales’s victory over Japan ended a ten-game losing streak at home
DAN ISTITENE/GETTY IMAGES
Owen Slot Trying to score tries is becoming increasingly counterproductive. More try attempts are being held up; a drop-out is too great a reward for defending teams.
Steve James Conceding more than 50 points at home is actually a decent result. Wales have done that twice (against Argentina and New Zealand) yet there have been a number of positives to pick out. It just shows where Wales are (rock bottom) and how normal rules no longer apply. Sad, desperate times. If they concede only 50 this weekend, with ten players missing against South Africa, it will be an absolute triumph.
Elgan Alderman That a team who had lost 18 Tests in a row, with their whole rugby structure at risk of collapse, are banned from celebrating final-kick wins against Japan. Let Wales be happy.
Who was your favourite breakthrough player?
Alex Lowe Guy Pepper has had a bigger impact on England than Henry Pollock since his debut as a key back-row presence who looks to the manner born at Test level.
Will Kelleher Pollock has been the sensation of the year. Despite limited game-time and some naivety, he has been the most fascinating player to study in 2025. It has been enjoyable to watch how much he annoys people who have never met him.
Venter, like Feinberg-Mngomezulu, has broken through for South Africa
PIARAS Ó MÍDHEACH/SPORTSFILE
Stephen Jones Seriously? No contest. By a country mile to a European audience it was the glorious Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu of South Africa.
Owen Slot Tom Roebuck, because England’s kicking game makes sense with a wing who can catch. Also Boan Venter — like South Africa needed another loose-head tank.
Steve James Max Ojomoh. Only the one game but surely England have found their inside centre at last. Fraser Dingwall is useful, but lacks the real point of difference required.
Elgan Alderman The Argentina centre Justo Piccardo was a barrel of fun, but I’ll go for Dan Edwards. With Welsh expectations so low, he was impressive for a young fly half.
Who would be your first three names on a World XV team sheet?
Alex Lowe Dupont: a magician who is back for the Six Nations. Ardie Savea: he routinely makes game-changing interventions. Pieter-Steph du Toit: an immense presence — big engine, physical and skilful.
Will Kelleher Feinberg-Mngomezulu, Du Toit, Louis Bielle-Biarrey.
Stephen Jones Malcolm Marx, RG Snyman, Bielle-Biarrey.
Owen Slot Dupont, obviously, plus you need Springbok power so: Du Toit (could have said Jasper Wiese) and Marx (ditto Thomas du Toit).
Dupont is back training with Toulouse and will return in the Six Nations
LIONEL BONAVENTURE/AFP VIA GETTY IMAGES
Steve James Dupont, Du Toit and Eben Etzebeth.
Elgan Alderman Assuming Dupont is unavailable through injury — Bielle-Biarrey, Feinberg-Mngomezulu and Savea.
Who or what were the biggest disappointments?
Alex Lowe Joseph Aukuso-Suaalii and Australia. Their threatened renaissance collapsed with their worst November tour since the 1950s, failings epitomised by an inability to get the best from Suaalii.
Will Kelleher World Rugby’s lack of communication around refereeing directive tweaks, which has left everyone in the dark and has allowed coaches to incite pile-ons on officials.
Stephen Jones The performance of the preposterous, self-obsessed fools who have put themselves forward to recover Welsh rugby but who are instead flushing it away.
Australia are failing to get the best from Suaalii
TIMOTHY ROGERS/GETTY IMAGES
Owen Slot France. Are they going to screw up their golden generation because they don’t have the balls to replace Fabien Galthié?
Steve James The Ireland versus New Zealand game in Chicago. It was like a pre-season friendly.
Elgan Alderman Australia looked cooked from day one and have lost seven of their past eight games. They trump Scotland for the attainment gap between hopes and results.
Rugby officials have one of sport’s hardest jobs. How can we help them?
Alex Lowe World Rugby needs to clarify and communicate card boundaries and decide whether it wants perfection or fluidity in the game, because the onus right now is on the former — making TMOs too influential.
Will Kelleher World Rugby must punish coaches who spend all week pressurising referees. It should also publicly support officials and explain their decisions. Referees are lambs to the social-media slaughter and it is not fair on them.
Stephen Jones Slash the inputs of the TMO, then gather round to watch the epic brilliance and accuracy of Matthew Carley in the Ireland v South Africa game.
Carley shows a yellow card to South Africa’s RG Snyman during their win against Ireland
BRIAN LAWLESS/PA WIRE
Owen Slot We can’t really. We will forever carry on tinkering with laws and protocols but essentially rugby union isn’t a game that can be simplified.
Steve James We need to sort out the kicking nonsense. Box-kicks have become another set piece. Gwyn Jones’s idea of being able to mark a kick anywhere on the field is a good one.
Elgan Alderman Shift use of technology towards a challenge/review system, like in cricket and rugby league, limiting TMO interruptions.
Your predicted Six Nations table
Alex Lowe France, England, Ireland, Italy, Scotland, Wales.
Will Kelleher France, England, Ireland, Italy, Scotland, Wales. Tight for the wooden spoon between the Welsh and Scots.
Stephen Jones Looming as a strictly non-vintage year: France, England, Ireland, Italy, Scotland, Wales.
Owen Slot England, France, Ireland, Scotland, Italy, Wales.
Steve James England, France, Ireland, Scotland, Italy, Wales.
Elgan Alderman France, England, Ireland, Italy, Scotland, Wales (bottom three on one win apiece).