Autumn International: Opta Team of the Series

Autumn internationals always have great drama and stories, but with Rugby World Cup draw Following this year’s matches, there was an added layer of suspense in 2025 as the best of the northern and southern hemispheres collide.

World champions South Africa have cemented their place at number one with a 100% track record so far, albeit with a trip to Cardiff still to come, although few would bet against them rounding off their year with another victory.

Meanwhile, England enjoyed the most profitable autumn of any Six Nations, winning all four of their matches to extend their winning streak to 11 and rise to third in the world rankings.

They almost edged out Argentina in their final match, but came close to spoiling the party and ending their European tour with a perfect record.

For the rest of the Six Nations and rugby teams, the autumn has been a mixed bag, with “could do better” the key note on the report cards for the majority, especially Australia – who are winless on their European tour for the first time in 67 years.

But that has not stopped Rugby Championship teams from boasting wins of eight out of 14 matches against Six Nations teams so far this month.

Throughout those matches, there were some incredible individual performances, and using the unique Opta Index – which objectively scores each player’s performance in each match, we can identify the players who have really shone this autumn, and have made their way into the XV as a result.

We review each pick and back up its inclusion with some key statistics.