KEY POINTS:
While it's a dangerous business drawing parallels from statistics, the world record set by the All Blacks in Wellington can't just be ignored.
Victory against the French was the 23rd consecutive test the All Blacks have won at home and pushed them past the record 22 games England
won at Twickenham between 1999 and 2003.
The last time New Zealand lost on home soil was, coincidentally, in Wellington against England almost exactly four years ago when the All Blacks infamously couldn't get a nudge on against a six-man pack.
A week later England beat the Wallabies in Melbourne and set themselves up psychologically for the World Cup.
That Southern Hemisphere jaunt was critical for England who had developed a fortress mentality at Twickenham. On home soil they never entertained the notion of losing. Winning was the expectation and the more they did it the better they became at it.
But that aura of invincibility, that inner conviction didn't always travel. There were embarrassing defeats at Murrayfield and Lansdowne Road in 2000 and 2001 when the Grand Slam was up for grabs and in 2002 France had too much passion and flair when they clashed in Paris.
Beating New Zealand and Australia in the Antipodes was the first time in the four-year World Cup cycle that England maintained the same levels of composure and aggression that produced so easily back in Blighty.
It was the first time they looked like World Cup favourites.
A similar opportunity exists for the All Blacks to establish their superiority. To put enormous doubt in the minds of the chasing pack and more importantly fortify their own belief that geography is no impediment to them producing devastating, winning football.
Just like England between 1999 and 2003, the All Blacks have not lost at home during this World Cup cycle. And just like England, have not yet managed to maintain that invincibility on the road.
Each year of the Henry reign has been marred by defeats in South Africa. The All Blacks under Henry have not yet managed to win back-to-back Tri Nations tests away from home. In 2004 they lost in Sydney one week and Johannesburg the next. In 2005 they lost in Cape Town before winning in Sydney and last year they couldn't do the double in the Republic.
The next two weeks, then, could potentially have a massive impact on what happens in France.
The game in Durban this week is the really big one. South Africa appear a growing threat. Key players such as Victor Matfield, Bakkies Botha and Fourie de Preez are brimming with confidence. That confidence will grow disproportionately if they can upset the All Blacks on Saturday.
There will be irrefutable evidence the All Blacks are vulnerable outside New Zealand. Belief will strengthen in the Bok camp, and in the minds of other challengers.
Victory, on the other hand, sends clear messages of invincibility. It will burst South Africa's bubble. Make them wonder whether they are good enough.
If it is followed by a win in Melbourne on June 30 then the All Blacks will have leapt a major psychological hurdle in the same way England did four years ago.
Sir Clive Woodward, England coach then, reckoned those victories in June 2003 were the key to winning the World Cup.
He said the players realised they could defy history. They got a taste for achieving what everyone said was beyond them. The self-belief from those two wins remained when they returned to Australia five months later for the World Cup.
Self-belief and mental strength are precisely the ingredients that have been lacking in the All Blacks. Some priceless stores can be built up in Durban and Melbourne.
