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Scotland flowering nicely while southern hemisphere sides show signs of wear | Paul Rees

Everybody has felt the pace in the autumn internationals but Australia, South Africa and Argentina look pale imitations of the sides who reached the World Cup semi-finals in England two years agoEngland and Ireland both won their three matches but their campaigns, without the lustre of facing New Zealand, were a touch underwhelming as they were rarely extended in confirming their places in the world rankings. Scotland were arguably the team of the month, pipping Samoa in an anarchic thriller to start before taking the game to New Zealand, denied by Beauden Barrett’s try-saving tackle in the final minute. They finished by achieving the double over Australia following the victory in Sydney in June. They were aided by Sekope Kepu’s...

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Autumn Tests prove sharpest cutting edge will lift Six Nations crown | Robert Kitson

All Blacks’ style of skill and pace, a trend enthusiastically embraced by Scotland in autumn internationals, points way forward for England, Ireland and Walesthose who assume this has been just another routine autumn of Test rugby have not been paying sufficient attention. France failing to beat Japan at home, Scotland sticking 53 points on Australia, Ireland hammering South Africa 38-3, Romania defeating Samoa … not only have there been some eye-catching results but it has proved a difficult November for defence coaches.Scotland’s three home fixtures against Samoa, New Zealand and Australia produced 28 tries, 16 of them for the home side. The All Blacks, in scoring five tries to two in a frantic game in Cardiff, burst through the 500-point...

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Autumn internationals: a team-by-team verdict of the tier-one nations | Nick Evans

With one international to go this autumn New Zealand and Scotland will be delighted, while Australia’s tour nosedived and South Africa are in a sorry stateThey have definitely got a rock under their towels when it comes to their holidays now. The red card against Scotland did make a difference but, as New Zealand showed against the Lions, you can make yourselves difficult to beat when that is the case. Australia’s autumn has been a mixed bag. It started off with an impressive win in Cardiff and things could have panned out a bit differently against England, but then they were thrashed in Scotland. The thing for Australia is that they need their strongest XV against the big boys or...

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Five England players who will have impressed Eddie Jones this autumn | Gerard Meagher

Henry Slade’s versatility, the impeccable lineout work of Charlie Ewels and Sam Simmonds’ sharp footwork are all likely to have caught the England coach’s eyeStarted like a steam train against Samoa, perhaps with a point to prove after it seemed to be made clear he was making his first England start by default, following an injury to Nathan Hughes, and the absence of any other options. It may be that his international future is not at No8 but the physical challenges do not come much greater than Samoa and he took it in his stride. He has sharp footwork which makes him elusive – as demonstrated by the 95 metres he made – and while he faded in the second...

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For all of Wales’ huffing and puffing the All Blacks refuse to be denied

Alun Wyn Jones played like a man possessed as he tried to end Wales’ 29-match losing record against New Zealand but they paid price with too many mistakesHell’s bells, what a game. They’ll need to get the plumbers in to the Principality Stadium to refit the kitchen sink Wales tore out and heaved at the All Blacks. They came at them with everything they had, body, heart, soul, hymns, arias, and all. And it still wasn’t enough.They made more mistakes than you can get away with against a team as sharp as this New Zealand side, even at the end of a long, gruelling year of Test rugby. But the 33-18 scoreline, stretched wide by the brilliant finishing of the...

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