It has been a strange year so far for the England rugby team, who started their Six Nations defence with two wins, only to then suddenly lose five games in a row as Eddie Jones faced his first crisis as head coach.

The trio of Six Nations losses came as a huge shock and saw a previously imperious side struggling at the breakdown, with Jones admitting the way referees were now interpreting the rules was going against his team.

After this, the summer tour to South Africa was always going to be keenly watched. Defeats on the first two Tests saw the pressure build, although the woeful sequence was ended in the final Test as England won 25-10 in Cape Town.

All this creates a very intriguing autumn in the Quilter Internationals. For the first couple of years of Jones's reign, England seemed to be a side capable of challenging the mighty All Blacks. Yet the two sides did not face each other. Now, this autumn, New Zealand are finally coming to Twickenham.

Instead of being a mouth-watering encounter between the two best teams in the world, it is a shot at redemption for a team that has a lot to do to recover its mojo just before the start of a World Cup year. 

England's autumn campaign at Twickenham starts on November 3rd with another match against South Africa, a side that will hope to back up its series win over England. The long-awaited clash with New Zealand will be on November 10th, with 2019 World Cup hosts Japan coming to town on November 17th and Australia on November 24th. For Jones, the latter two matches will be reunions with sides he has coached before.

Japan, who were coached by the Australian at the time, pulled off the shock of the last World Cup by beating South Africa, but beating the Springboks is the bare minimum for England this time.

Speaking ahead of the match, Jones said injuries had deprived the squad of 320 caps' worth of experience with stars like Chris Robshaw, Joe Launchbury and the Vunipola brothers already ruled out. Courtney Lawes is a further doubt with a back injury.

However, England have been able to recall players like Ben Morgan, Chris Ashton and Manu Tuilagi, as well as taking the opportunity to pick eight uncapped players in the 36-man squad. Indeed, the most exciting feature of the Quilter Internationals may be the emergence of new stars ahead of next year's global tournament. Could exciting youngsters like Ted Hill or Joe Cokanasiga make a breakthrough?

It has been a strange year so far for the England rugby team, who started their Six Nations defence with two wins, only to then suddenly lose five games in a row as Eddie Jones faced his first crisis as head coach.

The trio of Six Nations losses came as a huge shock and saw a previously imperious side struggling at the breakdown, with Jones admitting the way referees were now interpreting the rules was going against his team.

After this, the summer tour to South Africa was always going to be keenly watched. Defeats on the first two Tests saw the pressure build, although the woeful sequence was ended in the final Test as England won 25-10 in Cape Town.

All this creates a very intriguing autumn in the Quilter Internationals. For the first couple of years of Jones's reign, England seemed to be a side capable of challenging the mighty All Blacks. Yet the two sides did not face each other. Now, this autumn, New Zealand are finally coming to Twickenham.

Instead of being a mouth-watering encounter between the two best teams in the world, it is a shot at redemption for a team that has a lot to do to recover its mojo just before the start of a World Cup year. 

England's autumn campaign at Twickenham starts on November 3rd with another match against South Africa, a side that will hope to back up its series win over England. The long-awaited clash with New Zealand will be on November 10th, with 2019 World Cup hosts Japan coming to town on November 17th and Australia on November 24th. For Jones, the latter two matches will be reunions with sides he has coached before.

Japan, who were coached by the Australian at the time, pulled off the shock of the last World Cup by beating South Africa, but beating the Springboks is the bare minimum for England this time.

Speaking ahead of the match, Jones said injuries had deprived the squad of 320 caps' worth of experience with stars like Chris Robshaw, Joe Launchbury and the Vunipola brothers already ruled out. Courtney Lawes is a further doubt with a back injury.

However, England have been able to recall players like Ben Morgan, Chris Ashton and Manu Tuilagi, as well as taking the opportunity to pick eight uncapped players in the 36-man squad. Indeed, the most exciting feature of the Quilter Internationals may be the emergence of new stars ahead of next year's global tournament. Could exciting youngsters like Ted Hill or Joe Cokanasiga make a breakthrough?