KEY POINTS:
Judging by their starting XV, I suspect Graham Henry and co still hold quite a bit of respect for England despite that team's recent poor form.
Frankly, I am surprised at the strength of the All Black side, particularly in the tight forwards, and it will be interesting to see how the selectors juggle players for the remaining matches.
If things get tough, then a few players may not get much game time - if any - on this tour.
Is this a problem? Not for me.
This tour is about a rehearsal for next year's World Cup, so why not play the best week after week?
Carl Hayman, Keven Mealamu and Tony Woodcock are our best front row by quite a distance.
The England trio of Julian White, George Chuter and Andy Sheridan are big and strong but should be easy enough to handle.
So what happens next week - Andrew Hore, Clarke Dermody and John Afoa against the French in Lyon?
I hope not.
The best three should be retained - if this was the final stages of a World Cup, wouldn't the best be retained?
The locking combination of Chris Jack and Keith Robinson looks very appealing. Robinson's style of rugby is well-documented - no-nonsense, accurate and direct.
The lineout will improve with less pressure on Jack, who will thrive on having the safety of Robinson's work-rate in the tight.
There will be more confidence at the drive and, while Danny Grewcock and Ben Kay are proven performers, I will be disappointed if the All Blacks don't have the edge.
Strangely, the area of concern could be in the loose forwards.
Sure, Richie McCaw is the best in the world and Reuben Thorne and Chris Masoe bring a mix of subtle technique and brute force - but all of them have played little rugby lately.
Training is one thing, but it takes a while to regain the pace and level of brutality involved in tests.
The England trio look a sound combination and will be confident of strangling the All Blacks' game plan of quick ruck ball and mobility.
Thorne will be an asset at the lineout and will guard the blindside defence. Strange how he has gone from left-right-out to a must-have selection.
The selectors rate Masoe as a special talent but it will be interesting to see how he reacts to the unfamiliar style of England - his challenge will be to retain his concentration and stick to the pattern.
The big shots and power runs will come, but the team stuff must come first.
Martin Corry and co will target him for special attention, on and off the ball, and it will be interesting to see how he reacts.
On paper, the All Black backline looks a nice mix of aggressive power and brains - I'll leave it to you to figure which bits fit which individuals.
Byron Kelleher will relish marking new boy, Shaun Perry. His Air New Zealand Cup form was superb and he seems to enjoy playing the likes of England and France more than the Australians and South Africans.
Aaron Mauger should help Ma'a Nonu with direction in defence and space in attack.
Nonu is all talent and, like Masoe, just needs to play to instruction, concentrate and not do anything stupid - particularly with his tackling technique, which can be erratic, to say the least.
I have no doubt he will rip the England defence apart at some stage. Wouldn't it be great if the brilliance was matched with more control? Certainly Wayne Smith and Henry will be demanding more balance in his game.
Rico Gear, Joe Rokocoko and Mils Muliaina will terrorise the opposition, so no worries here.
In fact, looking at things from afar, this should be a comfortable win for the All Blacks. Certainly, the team selection says so.
I will be interested to see the style England brings to the game. I suspect they may be more expansive than in recent times.
The glory and style of the 2003 World Cup is well and truly gone.
If they are to have any chance of defending their crown in France next year then things must change.
Coach Andy Robinson appears to be a dead man walking, so maybe a few more risks will be taken. If so, expect errors.
That will suit the All Blacks, who will be looking for improvement at the lineout and to convert created opportunities into points.
In recent matches they have too often butchered tries and still won. There will come a game when this isn't enough, so they best start getting it right now.
The lineout must improve and Robinson might just be the man. Steve Hansen will be hoping so, as I suspect headmaster Henry is rapidly losing patience.
No matter how good the All Blacks appear and how shabby England look, a Twickenham test is always intense.
Maybe it's the local supporters who seem to grate on the All Blacks or perhaps it's their lack of success at Twickenham compared with other venues.
Either way, it's always a bit special.
* John Drake is a former All Black
