Assessing the Autumn: How rugby's heavyweights fared in November

The Springboks are still world No 1, but the chasing pack are closing in - and they are all from the northern hemisphere - though who would dare write off the All Blacks?

HAPPY DAYS: Ireland's Peter O'Mahony celebrates after Sunday's game.

IRELAND.

It’s been a superb autumn series for Ireland and having lost the opening two games of the year — against Wales and France in last season’s Six Nations — an unbeaten run of eight games since then has catapulted Ireland into a great position.