The RFU will review the team's performance in January after a disappointing calendar year saw them lose five matches in a row

England are still searching for their identity, not only in terms of style but also personnel. Take scrum-half, for instance. Ben Spencer had free rein at Twickenham and the coach’s support for the first two games, only to be unceremoniously dumped and sent home for the final two fixtures.

Most onlookers are straining their eyes to see meaningful progress from England. With a sobering record of five wins and seven losses in 2024 for Steve Borthwick’s team, it is easy to understand the pessimism.

England full-back Freddie Steward has defended under-fire head coach Steve Borthwick and said it’s the players who should be blamed for the defeat to South Africa. The Red Roses lost a fifth consecutive Test match as they went down 29-20 at Allianz Stadium, prompting speculation over Borthwick’s position.

What sort of England team will turn up against Japan? Steve Borthwick could not have been more emphatic in his selection, at least. In making just two changes to the side to face Eddie Jones’s team, with the return of senior players George Furbank and Tom Curry to the starting XV,