International rugby’s power structure has shifted significantly in the last five years, and New Zealand’s place as sovereign has been further eroded by a mixed 2022, but such is the aura that accompanies the All Blacks their visit still elicits a certain, special sort of excitement. “This is like if you’re a mountain climber going to the top of Mount Everest,” said Eddie Jones, never one for understatement, on Thursday with the All Blacks preparing for a first visit to Twickenham since 2018.
Meetings between England and New Zealand have been rare in the last six years. When last these two collided it was the zenith of the Jones era, everything that the coach had built over his first four years in charge coalescing perfectly in 80 irresistible Yokohama minutes.
