Autumn internationals: All Blacks still top but southern powers feel Test fatigue | Paul Rees

New Zealand remain the yardstick but their flaws feed Lions’ hopes for next summer even though the settled order of the Six Nations is in need of a shake-up

1. New Zealand

The All Blacks remain at the top of the world rankings by a comfortable margin, but their defeat by Ireland in Chicago, which ended a record of 18 consecutive Test victories, gave the Lions succour before the tour next year. New Zealand’s next Test is against the Lions on 24 June in the first of three and if they remain comfortable favourites to win the series, Ireland showed in two matches against them that they can crack under pressure.

They remain, though, the yardstick for other sides: proficient in the set pieces, expert at the breakdown and devastating on the counterattack. England are next behind them in the rankings, but are still some way behind in terms of fluency, speed of thought and execution. They lost players with more than 800 caps between them after the World Cup, but retained a core of experience and their main threat comes from clubs in France who are looking to woo the likes of Ben Smith, Israel Dagg and Aaron Cruden with seven-figure offers. The best, though, will get even better.

Related: Ireland clinch first ever win over All Blacks to end New Zealand's record streak

2. Australia

A return of six victories and nine defeats since reaching the World Cup final last year indicates a team on the slide. Seven of the reverses came against the two teams above them in the world rankings, New Zealand and England, but the Wallabies showed enough at Twickenham, especially in the first half of their 15th Test of the year, to signal better days ahead. They may lack the depth of New Zealand, but they have awarded more than a dozen new caps this year and have reshaped their three‑quarter line.

They gave England their hardest Test of the autumn series and while they suffered their second-heaviest defeat to the men in white, a few decisions going the other way would have made it a one-score game. The Wallabies started training in January and they were playing a Test in December, which shows how desperate their union is for money and exposes a schedule that is putting a heavy toll on players.

3. South Africa

The Springboks head coach, Allister Coetzee, said after a tour that finished with defeats in all their three Tests that when a side hit rock bottom the only way is up, but South Africa face a long climb.

A series of meetings this month will decide Coetzee’s fate, but they are paying for years of structural neglect. They have lost hundreds of players abroad so talent is spread too thinly among their six Super Rugby teams and the national side lack an identity. The danger they face is that more and more players start moving abroad at young ages and qualify on residency for other countries.

They looked like a second-tier nation in their defeats by England and Wales, committing the most basic of errors, and they need to address their problems immediately rather than get mired in political debate. The international game cannot afford the Springboks to remain down and it is just as well the Lions are not going there in 2017.

4. Argentina

The Pumas showed flashes of their potential in their three matches in Europe, but it was the end of a long year for their players, who struggled after a year of unprecedented long‑distance travel in the Super Rugby tournament. They came close against Wales and Scotland, but were unable to take advantage of England having a player sent off after four minutes at Twickenham. Their policy of not considering players based in Europe cost them on tour, but they are looking to the long term.

Their head coach, Daniel Hourcade, said before their opening match against Wales that it was about building for the 2019 World Cup and with Argentina currently ninth in the world rankings, another pool of death looms. They have evolved under Hourcade into a skilful, attacking side that remain strong in the set pieces. Their potential is considerable, but by narrowing their pool of players they have sacrificed immediate success for future prosperity. They are playing the long game in more ways than one.

5. Six Nations

The tournament starts next month with three fixtures that have become one-sided. France have not won at Twickenham in the Six Nations since 2005, Scotland have beaten Ireland four times in the Six Nations this century and Italy have not beaten Wales since 2007. France continued their losing ways in November, but they were within a converted try of beating both Australia and New Zealand having shown a renewed appetite for running the ball. The closer cooperation between the Top 14 and the national side is starting to have a noticeable effect and there is more consistency in selection.

Italy, who followed victory against South Africa with defeat to Tonga, are invariably stronger at the start of the Six Nations than at the end of it and Wales, despite three victories in four in November, look vulnerable while Scotland have developed not only strength in depth but the ability to create. Never mind bonus points, what the tournament needs after a few years of a settled top three is a shock or two.