England must unearth plan for the future rather than seeking revenge | Robert Kitson

The World Cup final defeat is still raw but only a positive display against the Springboks will give Eddie Jones a platform

This autumn series has not produced much in the way of conclusive Twickenham evidence so far but the mists are about to clear. While no global prizes are on offer it feels a significant weekend as England and South Africa meet for the first time since the 2019 World Cup final. For the home side, in particular, this is the game, for better or worse, that will define their calendar year.

Defeat the world champions, currently unbeaten entering the last leg of their European tour, and there will be concrete proof of progress even in the absence of several familiar totems. Trail in a distant second and, having finished fifth in the 2021 Six Nations, the end-of-term report will write itself. There is a very decent England team in there somewhere and this would be an opportune moment to underline that fact.

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from The Guardian https://ift.tt/3HBNzoa