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The convincing win against the Wallabies at the weekend has left it very black and white who the best two rugby teams in the world are.
The initial absorption of intense Aussie pressure before running over the top of them capped off a perfect calendar year of 13 wins from 13 under Eddie Jones, added to their defeat of Uruguay in last year’s World Cup, to take England’s winning streak to 14.
If they carry on their winning ways in the Six Nations next year against France at home, Wales away, Italy at home and Scotland at home, the men in white will equal the men in black’s recently-set tier one world record of 18 wins on the trot.
That would set up a saliva-inducing match against the resurgent Irish in Dublin the day after St Patrick’s annual excuse to drink green beer on 18 March 2017 for a shot at the World Record outright.
If such a scenario was to play out you could only imagine the degree of smugness etched on Jones’ face with the prospect of the All Blacks not able to have a crack at wiping it off until November 2018.
Many in the rugby world are clamouring for a meeting between the number 1 and 2 ranked teams ASAP to get bragging rights sorted. I’m not one of them.
Sure it would be an epic, compelling contest between champ and challenger, but I’m happy for the mystique and allure of the clash to continue to build as the two teams avoid one another on their pre-determined orbits.
Any mystique and allure has long faded from other epic match-ups such as the Bledisloe Cup due largely to an over-supply of fixtures year after year – not to mention the predictability of their outcome since ’02.
And, just quietly, I think the All Blacks would have England’s measure if both teams were somehow able to get themselves recuperated and refreshed to square off now.
It was all England could do to somehow hang onto the Wallabies who thundered out of the blocks at Twickenham on Saturday. Australia only needed one of the three occasions it crashed over the home side’s try line in the opening 15 minutes, to add to the converted try they did score, to put them almost out of sight with only a quarter of the game gone.
England were utterly shellshocked by the opening assault that had them bumbling and fumbling as the Wallabies hoed into their work with big gain-line pressure and some sparkling attack.
But much of that early dominance was not converted into enough points for it to be of much consequence.
So when Nick Phipps had his inevitable moment of dither that set off the awful chain reaction that resulted in Jonathan Joseph’s first try, it was England who were able to claim an improbable lead after half an hour of Australian dominance.
Had it been a fit and firing All Blacks up against England, they would have converted more of the pressure into points and kept the door more firmly shut on opportune scores against them, rather than leaving it wide open as Phipps did.
As the game wore on into the second half, England won more ball and began to exert their own gain-line dominance through the likes of impressive number 8 Nathan Hughes on his run-on debut, Mako Vunipola and Courtney Lawes.
Imposing themselves in the collision in the way that Lopeti Timani, Michael Hooper, Sekope Kepu and co had done so effectively in the first half.
England’s man of the match, scrum half Ben Youngs, put on a masterclass of box kicking, crisp clearing and decisive daring to have his team consistently on the front foot throughout.
His try from a quick tap and dummy, bought hook, line and sinker by none other than Phipps in the 50th minute, was a case in point.
Where England varied their play the Wallabies stuck to the tune of run-pass-run – with the odd innocuous Phipps box kick thrown in – that they have been playing all year and became increasingly easier for the England defensive wall to corral.
You would imagine the All Blacks, with backline general Ben Smith assessing options from fullback, would explore other ways of unlocking England’s wall. Such as popping chip kicks in behind it, skirting it with wrapping off loads and kick passes or bursting through its weakest point – George Ford’s channel – with Beauden Barrett’s blistering pace.
Of course this is all merely hypothetical and based on observations of now that could easily be rendered obsolete by form and attrition in the two years hence when England and New Zealand next square off.
Until then England will strive to keep building on their growing belief – the irrepressible sort that can only be gained by teams that haven’t lost in a long while.
It’s a belief that begets the composure they showed in the calm way they dusted themselves off from the Wallabies’ blistering opening challenge to work themselves into the game, slowly build ascendency and then pounce on every opportunity that came their way.
It was, as much as it pains me to say it, a rather All Black-esque response. The supreme confidence in their own ability to right the ship and get the job done. No panic. No fluster.
Composure like that is such a vital thing in top-level rugby when things will never always go your way in the white hot heat of battle.
Jones talked about it after the game: “I was really pleased with our composure, our ability to adapt. It was a big step forward but we won’t get too carried away.
“There is still a hell of a lot of work to do to become the best team in the world and the players know that. “We’re only the number two team in the world and we want to be number one and we have a long way to go before we achieve that.”
I agree Eddie, but you’re well and truly on the right track.
Unless, of course, the All Blacks find another gear and create a new track to travel along as they have so often in their past.
Do they have it in them?
The blockbuster series against the British and Irish Lions in six months should give us an indication.
Bring it on.
Join The Roar rugby editor Christy Doran, former Wallaby Matt Toomua and a cast of regular and special guests as they look at the biggest issues in the game on The Roar Rugby Podcast. If you’re looking for great odds on the next game check out Aussie bookmaker PlayUp. Chances are you’re about to lose. Set a deposit limit.