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Report card: Rating all 33 England players from the Quilter Nations Series
By Josh Raisey
England will head into 2026 with a lot of optimism following their Quilter Nations Series clean sweep, defeating Australia, Fiji, the All Blacks and Argentina to extend their unbeaten run to 11 matches.
Steve Borthwick’s side headed into the campaign off the back of a productive July series in Argentina and the USA, and had the added bonus of their returning British and Irish Lions contingent to counteract a fair portion of injury concerns.
Despite the returning Lions, this was a campaign where Borthwick rewarded several players for their series win over the Pumas over the summer, while unearthing a few more gems at the same time, who will feature heavily in white over the coming years.
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It wasn’t all perfect for England throughout November, but Borthwick will largely like what he saw, as his side climbed to third in the world rankings.
So here’s how the England players rated throughout the Quilter Nations Series:
Back three
Freddie Steward – 6
Crucial to England’s kick-chase gameplan in starts against Australia, the All Blacks and Argentina, although his match was cut short after 20 minutes against New Zealand. On the other hand, across the series, he did not look as secure under the high ball in the back field as he once was. His passing game is improving, but he just doesn’t pose the threat Marcus Smith or George Furbank do.
Tom Roebuck – 8
When England needed a reliable aerial threat, Roebuck was the man. Sharp under the high ball, busy in kick-chase, and repeatedly involved in game-changing moments. The architect of two tries against the Wallabies by winning contestables, and even got a try against the All Blacks. An ankle injury against Fiji and a foot injury against the Pumas robbed the Sale Shark of more game time, unfortunately.
Immanuel Feyi-Waboso – 7.5
Started all four matches after missing much of last season, and grew from strength to strength as the series went on. Didn’t see much of the ball against the Wallabies, but got involved far more in the following matches, looking like he would make metres with every carry. Finished a strong campaign with 13 defenders beaten, as well as two tries.
Marcus Smith – 6.5
This series did not go how Smith, nor even Borthwick, would have wanted in terms of game time. Not selected against the Wallabies, a start against Fiji, 60 minutes off the bench against the All Blacks and an unused substitute against Argentina. His game time was exclusively at full-back, but he in no way looked vulnerable there (partly due to the All Blacks’ ill-judged tactics). Performances weren’t the issue; game time was.
Henry Arundell – 6
Returned from exile with an eye-catching 15 minutes from the bench against Fiji. It was pure speed as he chased down a Marcus Smith kick for a try and looked threatening. He can’t be graded too highly, however, as it was such a small sample size.
Elliot Daly – 5
Borthwick knows Daly’s class, and the England fandom should too, so the head coach won’t be too perturbed by his rusty display against the Pumas in what was his comeback match after breaking his arm while on Lions duty.
Centres
Ollie Lawrence – 8
Sandwiched in between not being selected against the Wallabies and having a hamstring injury against Argentina were two elite performances from Lawrence at outside centre in his return to Test rugby after rupturing his Achilles. He was maybe finding his feet again in the first half against Fiji, but thereafter was a real menace over the next game-and-a-half, showing nice footwork to go with brute power.
Fraser Dingwall – 7
A slow burner in the opening two matches, only to come alive against the All Blacks, scoring a try. There were some great moments across the series for Dingwall, but also some costly errors. His partnership with Lawrence appeared to be blossoming in the penultimate match, only for injuries to rule the pair out.
Tommy Freeman – 7
A lively game in the midfield against Australia was followed by a return to the wing against Fiji, before a hamstring injury ended the Lion’s series. England may not have seen the best of Freeman over November, but Borthwick knows what he is capable of.
Henry Slade – 6.5
Only one appearance in a start against the Pumas, Slade can at least rest assured that he made a good account of himself in a try-scoring display, albeit with one defensive lapse. Clearly still in the reckoning, but did the 74-cap veteran do enough to move himself ahead of the injured contingent in the pecking order? Probably not.
Max Ojomoh – 8
A revelation against Argentina. The full package in attack and a defensive physicality that suggests England should invest heavily in him, particularly as he partners Lawrence at Bath too. His sole performance was more than an 8, but due to his lack of game time across the series, he cannot be rated any higher.
Fly-half
George Ford – 8.5
Given the keys against the Wallabies, All Blacks and Pumas, and while some may have questioned his starting berth at the beginning of the campaign, those critics diminished significantly as the series went on. World-class in a player of the match performance against the All Blacks, and suited perfectly to Borthwick’s – and Lee Blackett’s – game plan. His recent display against Argentina was probably his weakest, but this was a huge November for the centurion with Lions options back.
Fin Smith – 6
Eight minutes against Australia and a start against Fiji were all that were handed to Fin Smith this autumn. Maybe it was a case of Borthwick managing the minutes of a Lion, but, in truth, it looks as though the Northampton Saint has lost his starting berth to Ford for now. He didn’t do enough in his performance against Fiji to demand the No.10 shirt either.
Scrum-half
Alex Mitchell – 7.5
This wasn’t a faultless series for the Lion – he looked slightly lost at times against Fiji – but with England’s strength currently lying in their kick chase, a lot of credit has to go to the box-kicker in those situations. Three starts and momentum-shifting 20 minutes from the bench against the Pumas
Ben Spencer – 7
Reliable cameos in the first three Tests preceded a strong 40 minutes against Argentina. He lost his grip on the game as the Pumas fought back, but Spencer proved to be a worthy back-up to Mitchell and can hope to hold onto his place among the Bomb Squad in the Six Nations even with Jack van Poortvliet returning.
Prop
Fin Baxter – 8
12 tackles in a start against Australia, 15 in a start against the All Blacks, and 14 from the bench against Argentina, these are numbers few props can match. Massive work rate and promising scrummaging. Whether starting or on the bench, the 23-year-old makes an impact, but a work rate like that suits a starter. One of England’s fastest-rising assets.
Ellis Genge – 7
Two starts (Fiji and Argentina) and two appearances as part of the Bomb Squad, where he made mincemeat of the All Blacks’ scrum. This may not have been Genge at his vintage best in terms of carrying, but he contributes in all areas. No longer the automatic starter he once was — Baxter’s growth, Genge’s bench impact, and Borthwick’s rotation strategy are all converging.
Joe Heyes – 8
Given a rest against Argentina following three starts and three performances where the Leicester Tigers tighthead built upon a strong summer tour. Absolutely rock solid in the scrum and, like Baxter, has such a high output, with 16 tackles in 51 minutes against the Wallabies and 11 in 53 minutes against Fiji.
Will Stuart – 7
A somewhat muted series for Stuart, with three bench appearances against Australia, the All Blacks and Argentina, but still produced some standout moments. Borthwick may have been managing his minutes after featuring heavily in the Lions series, or may have seen him as a pillar in the Bomb Squad, which he was, offering some real scrummaging impetus against the All Blacks and Argentina.
Asher Opoku-Fordjour – 6.5
Handed a runout from the bench against Fiji and a start against the Pumas, the 21-year-old is becoming increasingly settled in Test rugby, it’s just about getting more game time under his belt. Unable to trouble the Fijian scrum, but had some success against Argentina.
Hooker
Jamie George – 7
Massive defensive work, as ever, and strong leadership, but George’s lineout collapse against New Zealand drags the series grade down. A hamstring injury ruled him out of the Argentina match, leaving him with starts against Australia and the All Blacks.
Luke Cowan-Dickie – 7
Was one of the driving forces behind England’s strong finish against Australia in the first Test, with a try from the bench. Steadied the lineout from the bench against the All Blacks, and started in George’s absence against the Pumas, where he probably put in his best performance of the series, where a fumble in grounding deprived him of a try.
Theo Dan – N/A
Unfair to judge anyone on nine minutes at the end against Argentina.
Second-row
Maro Itoje – 8.5
The England captain was close to his very best this series, adapting to England’s new defensive system perfectly. Suffocating in defence around the ruck, racking up 22 tackles against Argentina, a match-leading 22 against the All Blacks and 16 against Australia. He was averaging over a turnover a game heading into the Pumas match, and even scored a try in a rare dalliance as a substitute against Fiji. Six penalties conceded in three starts is not great, however.
Ollie Chessum – 7
Consistent, physical, reliable in the lineout and defence, Chessum was going well until a foot injury ruled him out of the last two Tests. England’s lineout faltered against the All Blacks, and the Lion’s absence may have a big part to play in that.
Alex Coles – 7.5
Featured in all four matches – from the bench against Australia, followed by three starts. Filled in well for Chessum and brings something different. May not have the physical edge that the Tiger has, but charges from touchline to touchline, and showed against Argentina that he can easily do that for 80 minutes (save for the last few minutes where he was sin-binned).
Charlie Ewels – N/A
Won’t be given a rating as he was only given nine minutes from the bench against Argentina. Then again, those nine minutes involved a match-winning intervention as he got up to pressurise the Argentine lineout in the final play as England won.
Back-row
Ben Earl – 9
England went into the series mourning Tom Willis’ move to France. Earl ensured he wasn’t missed for a second, returning to No.8 – and No.7 against Fiji – with aplomb. Topped the carries charts against Fiji and the All Blacks, topped the tackles chart against the Pumas – England’s player of the series. Named player of the match in the opening two contests, and was there or thereabouts in the last two. Relentless.
Chandler Cunningham-South – 6.5
Like his Harlequins team-mate Marcus Smith, this rating is not necessarily reflective of the performances Cunningham-South put in, rather the lack of game time he was given. A start at No.8 against Fiji followed by two minutes against the All Blacks was all the 22-year-old was given. He can be pleased with his display against the Fijians though, beating four defenders in 50 minutes and operating as a real enforcer.
Sam Underhill – 8.5
Still England’s defensive doyen, every game that Underhill plays makes it all the more baffling that he wasn’t given an enhanced Elite Player Squad (EPS) contract. Borthwick’s modus operandi was to give Underhill 50 minutes before unleashing the Bomb Squad, but they were 50 minutes full of shuddering shots frequently behind the gainline. The Bath man may go down as England’s greatest ever tackler, certainly of the professional era.
Guy Pepper – 8
Four starts in either the No.6 or No.7 jersey and four performances where the 22-year-old Bath star continued to show his Test pedigree. Complements Earl and Underhill in the back-row and, crucially, is eyed as a third lineout option by Borthwick, though he may not have entirely convinced in that role.
Tom Curry – 7.5
Had to settle for four bench appearances after returning from wrist surgery in time for the autumn. This may have confused some initially, particularly given his barnstorming Lions series, but his impact from the bench as a pivotal member of the Bomb Squad vindicated Borthwick’s decision. The energy he brings differs from the slow and relentless grind that comes from a player like Underhill, and Borthwick looks to have got the balance spot on in terms of his selections and the timing of his changes.
Henry Pollock – 8
The poster boy of the Bomb Squad, producing tries, assists and a staggering 16 tackles against Argentina, all from the bench. There seems to be none better suited than the 20-year-old to provide game-changing moments from the bench. The cliche ‘rugby is a 23-man game’ is bandied about a lot, but Pollock proves that, helping take England to another level in the final quarter.
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