Second-string England side

The All Black aura is splintering. The mythology would suggest that the famed black shirt does things to an opponent long before the first whistle has blown.

The symbolism of the haka, its tribal nature, its warrior spirit, is designed to strike fear into those standing across the half-way line, daring them to accept the bellicose challenge.

So many teams have been beaten before they even take the field against New Zealand, whatever vestiges of confidence they had in their own ability eroded by the history, as well as a fair degree of hokum, that is associated with the All Blacks. It is a slick trick, hustling for an advantage. And they have been rumbled.

England may have lost in Auckland on Saturday but it was clear to everyone at Eden Park that these supposed second-stringers cared not a fig for the reputations of the world champion side.

England were raw and inexperienced in several positions. In years past, we would have expected to see a 20- or 30-point defeat. Certainly that has been the case on so many summer tours to the Southern Hemisphere, particularly to New Zealand. The Poms turn up. The Poms get pummelled. It’s been a longrunning production.

But two can play the heritage game. England have picked up the shtick, instilled a sense of togetherness and belonging that matches the traditional tight-knit nature of the All Blacks group. We may have doubted England. They did not doubt themselves.

From the moment backs coach Andy Farrell revved them up in the pre-match huddle, reminding them that a white shirt can be every bit as resonant as a black shirt, England played with zest and self-belief. They were not overawed. They were not intimidated. And they matched the All Blacks stride for stride.

Ah, but show me the scoreboard. Well, true, and naturally a defeat cannot be glossed over as if it is an inconvenient mark on a pristine surface.

There is growing sense here in New Zealand, though, that Saturday may have been a pivotal moment in the lifespan of both teams.

The All Blacks no longer carry the swagger that has served them so well since the 2011 Rugby World Cup. Only England have beaten them, an astonishing run of success. Last season, they won 14 tests in a row, the only team in the professional era to have done so.

They do, of course, remain unbeaten. Win number 15 puts them within touching distance of the world-record mark of 17 successive test victories. They may