It was a frustrating autumn for England on the pitch, but for one man it was particularly tough. Billy Vunipola started the autumn as one of England’s first names on the teamsheet; a titanic ball-carrier and one of their go-to men in attack.

Two poor losses to New Zealand and South Africa later, however, and Vunipola found himself on the wrong end of some unwanted criticism. He was dropped for the Samoa game in favour of Gloucester’s Ben Morgan, before suffering a concussion for Saracens that ruled him out of the final test with Australia.

Morgan went on to be voted QBE Man of the Series, despite having started just two of England’s four games in November. This doesn’t tell the full story, of course, given that Vunipola’s two starts were against the top two defences in the world. Nonetheless, getting dropped stung.

Speaking to Sportsbeat, Vunipola said: “The autumn was certainly a massively frustrating time for me but at the same time it was also a huge learning curve.

“I think heading into the autumn I maybe got carried away with my form for Sarries and maybe I was just a bit too over-confident, not necessarily on the pitch but perhaps more off it with my religion and faith and everything.”

He is, as any professional sportsman must be, quick to try and draw positives from the situation – namely, getting back on the horse and proving why he was first choice in the first place.

“Maybe being dropped will actually benefit me and turn out to be a good thing because I have learnt so much off the back of it.

“I have never been in a situation like that; for whatever reason I couldn’t transfer my club form over to my country, but sometimes it goes like that and you need to get back on the horse and I am excited about doing that.

“I am still learning and I have a long way to go but I am determined to win back my place and I will do all I can to do exactly that.”

Vunipola hints that next year’s World Cup is something that was playing on his mind. Professionals these days insist they are only ever looking to the next weekend, the next game, the next opposition, but with the chance to represent your country at a home World Cup on the horizon, how could you not get a bit distracted?

“One lesson I learnt from the autumn is that you can’t think too far ahead, you have to take each game as they come and focus on that,” Vunipola added.

“I know I have to play well to even be included in the squad for the Six Nations but I do keep thinking about what playing a World Cup game at Twickenham would be like.

“I would love to play in a World Cup in England, in an England shirt, and that gives me extra motivation to get back in the side.”

For now, though, the focus has to be returning to form and somehow finding a way to oust Ben Morgan from the starting shirt, because the Gloucester man was certainly the flavour of the month in November. Vunipola, as ever, is relishing the challenge.

“Ben Morgan is a very good player and he showed that last month and it is great that we can push each other on.

“We both want to play but only one can so we will both be trying our hardest to make sure we are the ones with the shirt in time for the Six Nations.”

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Billy Vunipola is a Land Rover Ambassador. Keep up to date with the latest Land Rover rugby activity by following @LandRoverRugby on Twitter

Photo by: Patrick Khachfe / Onside Images