With Australia dominating in the Ashes down under, I visited Twickenham to witness one of sport’s biggest rivalries unfold at the Allianz Stadium.
England versus Australia has always been one of sport’s fiercest rivalries, and the stadium atmosphere on the 1st November 2025 merely reflected the intensity of such occasion.
The autumn window has long been viewed as a test of character for players returning from a British & Irish Lions tour.
With 13 Lions tourists in Steve Borthwick’s squad this year, England’s resilience, despite limited rest, has underlined the depth and ambition of a side beginning to show its full potential.
Last year marked the fall of the traditional three-decade autumn series format.
From next summer, it will be replaced by a biennial 12-team pool competition, designed to elevate tier-two nations and disrupt rugby union’s long-standing seasonal structure.
The competition will consist of six rounds across the summer and autumn Test windows, followed by three double-header fixture days on 27–29 November at Allianz Stadium to rank nations and crown champions.
South West Londoner attended the first and last game of the 2025 Autumn Nations Series.
England head coach Steve Borthwick confirmed he will continue to prioritise adaptability within his squad. Speaking after the win over Australia, he told South West Londoner that his back-row selections will remain fluid as England build towards the 2027 Rugby World Cup.
“I think it’s going to be important to have that flexibility position especially if we continue with a 6-2 split,” he said.
“I spoke earlier in the week about the potential of having Henry Pollock on the wing and it’s certainly a project we have started, to be able to cover that in a game.
You would expect me to be thinking about these things, you’d expect me to put this into the planning and that is exactly what we are doing.”
After England’s victory over Australia, the side faced Fiji, New Zealand and Argentina in three highly anticipated fixtures. The win over New Zealand marked England’s first against the All Blacks since 2012, giving Borthwick’s side renewed confidence heading into next year’s Six Nations and the new Nations tournament.
England closed 2025 with 11 wins from 12, including a flawless four-from-four November and their first four-Test autumn clean sweep at Twickenham since 2016, but greater consistency will be needed if they are to become the first northern hemisphere team to reach three consecutive World Cup semi-finals.
England can enter 2026 with confidence, but to genuinely contend in 2027 they will need sustained momentum, clearer selection confidence and the courage to use “wild-card versatility” across the squad, as ongoing questions over control, discipline and selection will shape the next 18 months of Steve Borthwick’s push towards the Rugby World Cup.
