Eddie Jones has declared he is "very keen" to square off against the All Blacks at the end of the year, and has fired a low blow at the All Blacks' 2011 Rugby World Cup victory in an attempt to put his side's recent Six Nations victory in perspective.
England's governing body, the Rugby Football Union (RFU), are currently looking at the idea of hosting the All Blacks at Twickenham on November 4 in what would be a clash between the two highest ranked sides in the world.
The match would be the start of England's autumn schedule and their first test with all of their key players back in their squad following the British and Irish Lions tour to New Zealand that would take place five months earlier.
The challenging fixture would put pressure on Jones and his players - who are likely to be fatigued as a result of their demanding club and international schedule following the Lions series - to be ready for the match from the get-go, a task Jones is ready to take on.
"We are very keen to play that game and if it comes across we will be well prepared. We don't have any excuses," Jones told The Times on Tuesday (NZ time).
The former Wallabies and Japan coach went on to have a dig at the All Blacks' victorious Rugby World Cup campaign in 2011 while discussing England's missed chance at a Six Nations Grand Slam and their lead up to the 2019 World Cup, suggesting referee Craig Joubert played a key role in their win in the final against France at Eden Park.
Jones highlighted the level of difficulty the All Blacks endured en route to winning their second World Cup title, 24 years after their first in 1987.
He indicated the All Blacks had such a difficult time at winning the World Cup after 1987 that they "had to have a very kind ref to get them home" against France in final of the 2011 edition, stating his side's 13-9 loss to Ireland in Dublin on Sunday (NZ time) that prevented them from winning a Grand Slam wouldn't hinder their build up to the 2019 World Cup in Japan.
"It's great for us. It's not great to lose, but it's a great learning experience. There's no scar there at all. You guys know the history of rugby. You know what the All Blacks had to go through to win the World Cup in 2011," Jones said.
"They lost the semifinal against Australia in 2003 and they lost the quarterfinal in 2007. They got to the final in 2011 and they had to have a very kind referee to get them home. That's how hard it is for them to win. So to lose the Grand Slam game when we've already got the trophy is hardly a scar, it's a learning experience.
"It's a game, it's a game of rugby. We lost, we'll move on, we'll get better, we'll learn.
"One game doesn't change our plan. We've got a plan in place. I know what we've got to do to be at our best for the World Cup. One game doesn't affect our perception of people, or the team."
Following on from England's second consecutive Six Nations title, the 57-year-old Tasmanian has set his sights on Egland becoming the first side to bag a hat-trick of outright titles in Five/Six Nations history.
"The great thing for us is we've won back-to-back Six Nations," Jones said.
"If you look through the record of Five to Six Nations, no one has outright won three in a row so we are in a position where we can still create a record in the Six Nations."