For a single game, England could salvage years of damaged pride with a win. Not only that, but a massive upset for the Red Rose would result (as would a draw) in a catapulting for the English into the prized realm of the top four teams of the world.

This would mean that England could avoid all of the Tri-Nations teams until potentially the semi-finals of the Rugby World Cup, and head a pool of their own. 

However, this is highly unlikely, with the All Blacks unchallenged at the top of the rugby world, losing only eight times since Graham Henry took charge, and only once losing to Northern Hemisphere opposition in five years. Not since Martin Johnson held the playing reins of England have they lowered the All Blacks colours, with New Zealand on a six-match winning streak.

England are a team with a dilemma. They have appointed the World Cup winning Johnson as their overlord, but as the English papers have delighted in pointing out this week, this is a man with no coaching experience, and it is being translated to the team.

As Rob Andrew, elite director of the RFU, pointed out earlier this year, the eight-year £110m deal signed between the clubs and the union will ultimately boost the English game – with benefits already being felt at junior levels with the England Saxons and Under-18s going unbeaten and the Under-20 side reaching the final of the Junior World Cup (ironically being thumped by NZ 38-3).

So there is a conveyer belt of talent, but while the last year has been about building foundations and structure, or “fire fighting” as Andrew puts it, we are seeing the fresh genesis of a New England team with much hard work in front of them. 

So it seems as much as anything that Johnson is going to have to wear the abuse and use the talent he has at his disposal now, meaning that a return to old heads may help England rather than introducing mavericks such as Danny Cipriani, who is clearly out of depth at Test level.

How Johnson and England must miss Jonny boy at the moment.

But while the All Blacks could be considered to be rebuilding as well, after losing 600 Test caps last year, the coaching team and the basic structures and feeding of New Zealand rugby still prevail. So do veteran campaigners such as Richie McCaw, Ali Williams, Mils Muliaina and of course Dan Carter, all of whom have meshed with new and recalled players who earn their stripes at Super 14 and ANZC level before taking the step up to Test rugby.

Carter is the kind of player England will eventually hope Cipriani becomes. He does not glide like Stephen Larkham did, kick as Andrew Mehrtens did or have the defensive grit of Butch James – but as an all-round player he is considered as complete a No.10 as the game has seen.

And boy, does Dan Carter love playing against England!

In six matches he has started he has never lost. He has compiled 120 points against England, while in six encounters against the All Blacks the entire English team have amassed just 86 points. Alone, Carter holds an average match advantage of five points.

Mike Ford, England’s defence coach, will not only be dwelling on Carter, but on the wave of unrelenting black attacks that will challenge every defensive channel the English can imagine.

Challenging the free-flowing adlib style of New Zealand will be England’s only path to victory, to go old school and completely try to shut down the All Blacks game with grit, determination and controlled fury – much as Johnson's England conquered the world.

But the all-conquering New Zealanders have no obvious flaws, so it is not so much a case of finding a weakness, as shutting down the entire operation. 

Even the scribes of England are singing their praises, as an irrepressible black wave has swept through the home unions. But even they would love to hail a departing All Black team who would have a Grand Slam quest sabotaged by an underdog England.

Beating the All Blacks can be an impossible task, but doing it at the headquarters of Twickenham will be much easier than doing it in New Zealand in 2011, which they would potentially have to do twice should England lose this weekend and drop to fifth in the world rankings.

Noo doubt Johnson will be impressing that “the path starts here, lads”.  To pull off the impossible will indeed re-leash the hounds at England’s door.