sport news England have NO FEAR of the fallible All Blacks ahead of Twickenham showdown trends now
The first part of the battle has already been won. England know that Saturday's opponents won't be wearing capes and masks. They realise these All Blacks are not mythical superheroes; they are mere mortals. Vulnerable ones.
Gone are the days when New Zealand would have rivals beaten before kick-off. Gone are the days of their aura spreading trepidation in every other rugby nation.
When the Kiwis come to Twickenham on Saturday evening, they must confront hosts who expect to beat them. Again.
Ellis Genge knows that New Zealand are no longer the team they once were and is confident
England have come up against All Blacks teams in the past that were much more daunting
It was illuminating to hear Ellis Genge talk about England's last encounter with the All Blacks.
Bristol and England's rampaging prop has established himself as one of the world's pre-eminent front-row forwards and he betrayed no hint of apprehension about what awaits him and his Red Rose team-mates on this grand autumn occasion.
'We know that they're definitely human,' he said. 'Prior to 2016, they absolutely smoked everyone and had a win-rate of 92 per cent.
'Seeing Argentina beat them and one or two others - it's either going to make them better, or you smell blood and go for it.
'I don't think anyone is thinking we are going to lose, but we know we've got to be on our mettle, otherwise you've seen what they do to teams. They absolutely spank them.
'They lost to Argentina one week and then put 50-odd points on them the next. That's just the way they play.'
Captain Owen Farrell will win his 100th cap against New Zealand at Twickenham on Saturday
This is the equation for England on Saturday. If they start well and take charge, they expect to win. But if they allow New Zealand to build momentum, Ian Foster's team-in-transition retain the ability to run riot, as Wales discovered when they conceded a half-century of points earlier this month.
They are at once increasingly fallible and still potentially lethal.
Within an hour of thrashing Japan last weekend, Eddie Jones set the tone for this fixture by declaring that the All Blacks were 'there for the taking'.
He's right. The head coach has also been at pains to emphasise that England's all-time win record is below 20 per cent against these opponents, but this is a big opportunity to redress that statistic.
Saturday's match could prove to be a landmark - far beyond home captain Owen Farrell and New Zealand second-row Brodie Retallick both winning their 100th caps for their countries.
There is a real sense that England can drive home a profound shift in the global balance of power.
Last weekend's 52-13 win over Japan showed that England are in formidable form right now
Last autumn, Ireland and France both defeated the All Blacks. Then in July the Irish claimed a maiden series win in New Zealand.
When the Kiwis suffered a first home loss against Argentina,
