This summer's rugby tours may have slipped under the radar for many sports fans, not least English folk more concerned with the football, but for rugby lovers in England, Scotland and Wales alike, the tours always have a special significance.

It is not just that they can make wonderful trips to far-flung destinations for those who travel with the team; it is also an opportunity to experiment, to bring in new blood and to get an idea of how some of the southern hemisphere sides are developing ahead of future autumn international fixtures and - for it is just a year away - the World Cup.

England's trip to South Africa has certainly raised a few questions, not least over the once-impregnable Eddie Jones. Having won all but one of the first 23 fixtures of his England reign, the Australian seemed to have found the perfect formula to turn the men in white shirts into world beaters. A hat-trick of Six Nations defeats, characterised by the team's struggles at the breakdown, shifted perceptions.

The prospect of a trip to South Africa held some promise. True, it is never easy to defeat the Springboks at home, least of all in the high-altitude conditions of Johannesburg. But the home side has itself been at a low ebb in recent times. To lose the first two Tests, therefore, stretching the run of defeats to five, ensured pressure was suddenly being brought to bear on Jones.

Thankfully, England returned to winning ways by taking the third Test 25-10. But, despite the criticism, Jones suggested the 2-1 series loss may have brought some benefits.

"We put ourselves in winning positions in the first and second Tests and just haven't handled big moments - today we got a couple of disappointments and we handled them much better. That's what's called experience," he told BBC Sport.

He praised his more experienced players, adding that he loved "the challenge of getting a side back in a winning position".

Scotland's tour of the Americas was a somewhat lower-key event, with a simple win by 48-10 over Canada to start with. But an embarrassing 30-29 loss to the USA raised serious questions about the team's away form - the Achilles' heel that prevents this team being real Six Nations challengers.

However, there could be few more emphatic answers to that than the 44-15 win over the Pumas that ended the tour. It was a record score for the Scots in the South American country and, even allowing for the poor recent form of their opponents, a huge confidence booster.