England have finally set World Cup foundations – now they must learn to break down their rivals

This come-from-behind series victory over Australia, Marcus Smith confidently declared, was a foundation for England. And it was. By the end of the series which they entered on a four-game losing run, England were missing seven first-choice players while others had the fuel light warning flickering in this last stretch.

What got them over the line, particularly in the final 15 minutes at the Sydney Cricket Ground, was their doggedness, according to head coach Eddie Jones. “This Test series was not won on tactics,” Jones, who has overseen five of England’s eight victories on Australian soil, said. “This Test series was won, as it usually is, by how hard you are prepared to fight for each other.”

The plentiful evidence of that fighting spirit, the resurgence of the English maul and the introduction of a host of bright young things such as Jack van Poortvliet, Ollie Chessum, Tommy Freeman and Henry Arundell, will all be building blocks to take into the World Cup in 14 months. 

After collapsing in the first Test defeat - and prior to that against the Barbarians - England also addressed their last-quarter deficiencies, holding the Wallabies to just seven points over that period in the next two Tests. Similarly they flipped the breakdown battle on its head after being schooled by Michael Hooper in Perth.  

And yet it seems like foundations have been continuously laid since 2019. Jones described last year’s autumn campaign as the “foundation games” for the World Cup, a phrase he repeated after England’s 32-15 defeat by Ireland in which Charlie Ewels was sent off after two minutes. 

The time for pouring concrete is over, particularly when Ireland and France have constructed skyscrapers either side of England’s plot. In an autumn