All Blacks Test sets tone for England mission to crack elite

Autumn Nations Series: England v New Zealand

Venue: Allianz Stadium, Twickenham Date: Saturday, 2 November Kick-off: 15:10 GMT

Coverage: Listen to live commentary on BBC Radio 5 Sports Extra and BBC Sounds, and follow live text commentary on the BBC Sport website and app.

The difference is only shrapnel, but against the super-elite, this England team invariably end up short-changed.

It was defeat by a solitary point against the All Blacks in Dunedin in July. It was two against France in Lyon in March. The Springboks shaded it by one in Paris last autumn.

The velvet rope separating England from the game’s highest flyers is thin, but distinct.

This autumn is about slicing through to that high society; coming away with credentials stamped with landmark victories and new-found respect from Test powerhouses.

The focus has been clear.

Ben Earl, one vice-captain, has said “the time is now” for England to swap regrets for results.

Maro Itoje, another leadership deputy, mentioned “winning” five times in one short answer on Wednesday, contrasting his own results ledger with that of England legend and fellow 84-cap second row Martin Johnson.

And the venue is favourable.

Steve Borthwick’s England reign has largely been a roadshow, with only six of his 24 matches in charge at Allianz Stadium.

Their last home match was the best it has been under him – a riotous derailment of Ireland’s Grand Slam express back in March.

It was the one time England have been on the high side of those small margins and a giddy Twickenham crowd drank deep, ratcheting up the decibels and washing away memories of ugly losses to France, Fiji and Scotland.

If that same heady feeling is in the air come the business end on Saturday, it will be easier to peel another big scalp.

Joe Marler has certainly provided the warm-up act.

The England prop’s social media post suggesting the haka was “ridiculous” and should be “binned”, kicked off the expected chain reaction of comment and condemnation.

The All Blacks are keeping their counsel until kick-off. “The boys are aware of it,” said New Zealand coach Scott Robertson ominously.

“We will discuss it and decide how we deal with it.”

England captain Jamie George’s assessment that Marler has “poked the bear” seems accurate.

How do England ensure then that, come Saturday night, they are mounting big-game trophies on the wall, rather than be stuffed themselves?

The absence of the All Blacks’ first-choice loosehead prop Ethan de Groot for failing to meet “internal standards” is big. He gave England’s Will Stuart a working over in some scrums in the summer.

The hosts can’t afford for that platform to be undermined again.

Ben Spencer’s dead-eyed box-kicking is a weapon that will have been sharpened in training. In for the injured Alex Mitchell, the scrum-half will have aerial ace Tommy Freeman to chase his bombs.

Northampton wing Freeman climbed high above Mark Telea to claim a try in the second Test in July. The pair are up against each other once more, and World Rugby’s guidance to officials this week has favoured the pursuers, putting the spotlight on any lazy-running blocking by the receiving team .

In the back row, Ben Earl’s energy kept opposite number Ardie Savea from shining too brightly in the summer – their personal battle could be the match in microcosm.

On the bench, England have bet on the big men, with six forwards and only two backs – Harry Randall and Fin Smith – named.

With starting centre and defensive leader Henry Slade having played less than an hour of rugby since shoulder surgery, the stakes are high.

The potential positional switches are stretches. Fly-half Marcus Smith covers full-back, while centre Ollie Lawrence is a wing option. Earl could get a run in midfield in extremis, if injury and fatigue bite hard.

Luck will play a part as Borthwick’s best-laid plans hang by a hamstring or two.

Even more important than the brawn though is the brain.

England need to believe they are better. They need to see the shades of grey in the famous black shirt.

Because, for all this week’s haka hoopla, for all the tourists’ dominant history, this is a New Zealand team that creak when their predecessors – with 34 wins from 45 previous meetings – didn’t.

They lost three out of six in the Rugby Championship, including going down at home to Argentina.

The summer series against England could easily have gone another way with Marcus Smith’s off-day off the tee in Dunedin an obvious fork in the road.

Robertson is managing an awkward transition between generations, exemplified by a half-back partnership consisting of Cortez Ratima – four months into his All Black career – and Beauden Barrett, who has 12 years and 131 caps on the Test clock.

The teams, like a pair of Curry twins or Barrett brothers, are closely matched.

If the hosts win to prove their mettle and pass muster, the All Blacks may find Test rugby’s top tier, like many exclusive clubs, operates a one-in, one-out policy.

For England, with new horizons to conquer this autumn, there would be no looking back.