KEY POINTS:
It was not what England wanted. A first look at an assorted All Blacks selection would have given them extra hope about Monday's test - until it was revealed that first five-eighths Nick Evans had limped out of training.
His hamstring was strained and his appearance against the
World Cup champions rated doubtful. If he did not recover, Daniel Carter would wear the No 10 jersey.
No matter Evans' form this season and his growing command of the five-eighths role, Carter would pose a much greater threat to England - as the Lions and others have discovered to their cost.
The training-ground mishap was desperately bad fortune for Evans, who had recovered from a serious shoulder injury in the Super 14 to join this end-of-year trip as Carter's understudy.
Looking at an All Black loose-forward combination which had minimal match time between them in the last 10 weeks and Evans on duty as well, England would have fancied their chances of curtailing some of the visitors' rhythm at Twickenham.
The probable return of Carter would offer a different set of problems, with Leon MacDonald coming into the reserves.
Coach Graham Henry acknowledged the match rust in his loose forwards, where Reuben Thorne has not played since the test in Pretoria, Chris Masoe getting only two substitute roles in the same period and captain Richie McCaw only one further test and 48 minutes of provincial rugby.
The 50-minute hit-out against the Heartlands XV had been a useful reintroduction for this trio and others - but it was slim preparation.
The key was how players were conditioned for their return to top-flight rugby.
"Just to throw them out there after eight, 10, 12 weeks off into a big game, I think is probably a recipe for disaster," said Henry.
"So I think the preparation to play, conditioning people to contact and all those things is pretty important.
"We are trying to get that right."
From what he and his staff have seen in the last week, Henry must be confident his loose forwards have mastered that transition.
The selectors have got themselves in a bit of a tangle on this tour because of their decision to bring the injured Neemia Tialata and four other props.
That verdict, allied to their choice of five locks and three hookers, left them with only five loose forwards for the tour.
The All Blacks had to get the underworked Thorne, McCaw and Masoe into action ahead of the in-tune Jerry Collins and Rodney So'oialo, and they reasoned England was the best opportunity.
They also intended to have used the majority of the 32-man squad by the end of the next test against France, before settling on their best 22 for the tests against France and then Wales.
Henry was at both his earnest and mischievous best yesterday when the English media quizzed him about the regular range of subjects. Spying at training sessions, the sinbinning of All Blacks against England last year, refereeing in the Northern Hemisphere, the style of the host side - they all got a run.
Henry dealt with them all, combining humour, feigned uncertainty and serious attention.
He was careful to commend England as a quality side, warning they were always a difficult opponent at Twickenham and likely to adopt a more expansive approach welded to stronger, ball-carrying forwards.
He also noted that Keith Robinson had been on the radar throughout the 30 months since he last played for the All Blacks.
He had given more starch to the Waikato pack and was someone who never took a backward step if there was any niggle.
The usual suspects were in the England pack, men who liked the physical approach and close-quarter confrontation - Robinson would be in his element containing those methods.
The All Blacks were refreshed for the final push of their season.
