Jeff Probyn: Joe Marler has moved above Mako Vunipola in the prop order

As the end of this season's Autumn Internationals are approaching, what have we learned? England set a goal of three wins out of three but really expected just the two they achieved, saving their best performance for the game they lost.
The first two games were disappointing despite the fact that England won. The levels of performance were well below the expected standards with both matches quite literally games of two halves with the England team performing at a reasonable level for less than 40 minutes in each game.
The third game was a far better team performance where England, at last, played for the whole match but, despite many claims that they missed a chance to win, I always felt that New Zealand had another gear whenever they needed it as they proved when England briefly took the lead.
England's head coach Stuart Lancaster has praised his squad for the commitment they showed in that game despite the defeat – but in my opinion he should be more than a little disappointed in a squad that appears to have been able to lift their game only against the challenge of facing the All Blacks.
His aim must be for his England squad to treat all teams equally and approach each with the same degree of intensity, desperation and purpose, whether they are facing the All Blacks or Old Rubber Duckians third team, they should play for the full 80 minutes with total commitment.
That said, there were some positives. The balance in the scrum has got better with increased competition for places. Joe Marler seems to have learned from the lesson dealt out by Adam Jones last March and should now move above Mako Vunipola in the pecking order, while the Billy Vunipola-Ben Morgan rivalry has given some strength in depth in the back row.
The young second row combination of Courtney Lawes and Joe Lauchbury has put down a marker as the probable World Cup pairing, assuming both can stay injury free.
The backs are a different matter with only full-back Mike Brown emphatically seizing his chance by playing every game as if it was his last. As for Billy Twelvetrees, what could have been his last game was by far his best and may have saved his selection – but the new combination with Joel Tomkins just did not work.
There is no doubt that Tomkins is a good player but the trend for putting Rugby League stars in the England team before they have really grasped the differences between the two codes has, once again, proved a disservice to both.
Lancaster deserves credit for sticking with his centre combination for the series as there are not many players that can form a working partnership after just one game.
Another area where I feel Lancaster deserves credit is in his efforts to foster the kind of reverence in the England squad that the All Blacks give to the previous generations of players, which he has defined as ‘respect for the shirt' – but it goes much deeper than that.
If you ask virtually any of the current All Black side about the greats that played for that nation in the last 40 years or more, they will know about those teams as it has always been a part of All Black culture to venerate the teams of the past and bring pride and fear to those who currently wear the shirt.
Pride in the fact that they have achieved the honour of playing for the mighty All Blacks, and the fear that they may not be able to live up to that legacy.
However, if you asked the current England squad to name the England team that won back-to-back Grand Slams in 1991 and 92, or the 1980 team that won England's first slam in 23 years, it's probable they would only be able to name a few star players.
While New Zealand venerated the past we have always looked to the future. Where they have a foundation to build on and measure themselves against, England teams have always had to start again.
Nowhere is that more evident than in the post World Cup-winning records of both nations. New Zealand, the 2011 winners, have lost just one game (last year against England) in two seasons, but England (2003) lost in just their third post World Cup game.
By bringing past players in to talk to the squad and remind the players how lucky they are, not only to get the chance to represent their country but also follow in the steps of the many great players that have represented England over the years, Lancaster is attempting to emulate the culture that has made the All Blacks the most successful team in the history of the game. And, as last Saturday proved, he has at least succeeded in encouraging his players to take the first step.
For Wales, Ireland and Scotland it has been a mixed bag with large numbers of injuries not helping to bring any consistency in performance.
The physicality that Wales and Scotland faced against South Africa not only took the games from them but also ended with a number of star players being injured making it difficult for any real analysis.
Ireland got Joe Schmidt's reign off to a flyer against Samoa, only to crash back to earth against Australia but if they can re-focus and play in the style that is Schmidt's trade mark, today's game against New Zealand should be a cracker.
Overall, with RWC 2015 just under two years away, the SANZAR sides are still the teams to beat.