KEY POINTS:
Just over two months ago there was an inevitable whiff about the conclusion to the All Blacks' Tri-Nations campaign. Or so it seemed.
The Springboks were in disarray, the All Blacks in victorious stride and all set after the extravagance of excusing most of their senior players from
the previous week's win in Pretoria.
Those core men - such as Doug Howlett, Joe Rokocoko, Aaron Mauger, Rodney So'oialo, Jerry Collins, Chris Jack, Ali Williams, Carl Hayman and Tony Woodcock - had recovered from jetlag, acclimatised to altitude and chilled out for a week at Sun City.
But rest became rust, the All Blacks were unable to combat the Boks' rush defence and bruising passion and fell 21-20 at Phokeng on the outskirts of Rustenburg.
Too tired, was the subsequent analysis, too drained, mentally, at the end of a nine-test trek across the domestic, Argentine, Australian and South African fronts.
That stacked up, sort of, but didn't account for the separate side sent to Argentina and other recovery windows.
A certain triumph at Phokeng became an untidy defeat, a stain on the season.
To Monday at Twickenham and England, a team trying to halt a slide which has pushed out to five successive failures. No chance of recovery, not with their rising casualty list and a campaign start against the No 1 side in the world.
While coach Graham Henry agreed the All Blacks were favourite for the test he lamented the "poor" preparation for some in his squad. Too underdone, not enough recent matchplay.
In an ideal world, all right. But Henry did not have to bring loose forwards such as Reuben Thorne and Chris Masoe who were injured freight for all but a few bits of the provincial championship.
There were others, like Marty Holah, Josh Blackie, Liam Messam, Jono Gibbes, Sione Lauaki, Jerome Kaino, Bradley Mika, Mose Tuiali'i, Steven Bates and Kristian Ormsby, who had played regularly.
It was encouraging, though, to see Nick Evans make the trip as understudy first five-eighths until he tweaked a hamstring late in training this week and is in doubt for the match. New halfback Andrew Ellis made it, too, even if his provincial form was patchy. But he will be worth a decent look if he gets a shot from the bench on Monday.
The form graph for Byron Kelleher and Piri Weepu fluctuates, with the opening offer given to Kelleher after the sharpness of his provincial final.
Any rust in his liaison with new No 8 Masoe will be seized on by the English pack.
Keith Robinson will be tested everywhere in his test locking revival.
Can he bring some of the lineout authority which has been absent this season? Is he the man to control the centre of the rucks and mauls with the aggression he brings to every game?
Ma'a Nonu is the first candidate for centre. Although assistant coach Wayne Smith speaks of Nonu's growing skills and ball-carrying power, one feels he has few chances left to claim the starting role.
Meanwhile, England have pledged to attack all areas of the hallowed turf.
That may not sound new, but it is a big deal for a home side who have followed their 2003 heyday plans of bludgeoning up the middle but without the firepower of Jonny Wilkinson.
"This is too good a side in opposition for us to go out there and bulldoze our way through. We're going to have to play some football," forwards coach Jon Wells said.
It sounds like a step towards disaster if England cannot control possession at the breakdown, where an underdone Richie McCaw should still be too classy for penalty-prone Lewis Moody.
All the New Zealand backs are trained scavengers there, too, men looking to create the dangerous counters, a sight which may overwhelm English midfielders Anthony Allen and Jamie Noon.
For some it sounds too much like the flawed plan England used in the 1991 World Cup final when their unusually expansive game damaged them. More likely, they may try some sorties but revert to type if the All Blacks hurt them early. The All Blacks must be carrying the pain of Phokeng and of regularly battling to win at Twickenham.
Two wins, two losses and a draw there since 1993 is not a cosy scenario, but with set-piece solidarity this will be a third victory.
* Late last night Nick Evans was ruled out of the test. Dan Carter will take his place.
