KEY POINTS:
There can be no doubt that the number of foreigners playing at premiership level in Europe has diluted international rugby up here.
The northern hemisphere is investing money into a very strong club scene. The Premiership and the Heineken are fine competitions but, as a direct result, they do not have the same commitment at national level. The number and influence of foreigners is perhaps best seen at first five-eighths, where the top four No 10s have been Carlos Spencer, Butch James, Nick Evans and Derick Hougaard - not a Brit in sight.
In New Zealand, the NZRU is investing primarily at national level - the All Blacks - while the provincial competition suffers.
Which is right? I am not sure there is a right or wrong here, just different ways of doing things. Both have pros and cons (although it was the French who took us out at World Cup quarter-final level last year in spite of all this).
But I'd have to say, as a result of this All Black tour, that New Zealand has a better chance of producing a good All Black team and a more competitive provincial competition if they involve more of the All Blacks soon to return.
Our provincial competition is still struggling and you can see the young guys playing for Auckland, Bay of Plenty, Wellington, North Harbour and so on are trying hard - but they are just not coming up against current All Blacks on a regular basis, so the standard isn't as high as it could/should be.
Getting back to the north, look at England first-five Danny Cipriani being dropped. He has star quality but is very inexperienced and undeveloped yet - so they had to go back to Toby Flood. He's a good player but this demonstrates that England's ranks of players for the big games are thinner.
But while the domestic game in New Zealand might be in dire need of attention, on the road, the All Blacks are delivering.
This has been a proper New Zealand tour. The Scottish game aside, the best team has been played - and has delivered -in the big matches. They had a wonderful, hard-nosed game against the Munster boys. The one thing that game exposed was that a number of the new players are not ready for test rugby.
I had dinner and a debate with Murray Mexted the other night, as he was contesting my statement that the All Blacks didn't have enough depth. As I told Murray, he hadn't quite understood what I meant - we didn't have depth in experience (as opposed to numbers) and you could see that against Munster and by the fact Graham Henry has had no choice but to field his best team. Look at the benefits that have accrued.
So out goes Henry's rotation policy (phew). In saying that, considering the number of personnel lost since the World Cup last year, the team has done superbly well to develop a top 22 that looks fit and strong, is displaying outstanding ball skills and has built a solid set-piece platform up front.
This morning, they had the chance to write their chapter in All Black history and I have no doubt they will have taken it by the time you read this.
The key players for the All Blacks are Tony Woodcock, Ali Williams, Richie McCaw, Dan Carter, Conrad Smith (who gives Ma'a Nonu direction) and Mils Muliaina. They are all now world class and are real leaders.
The England team, on the other hand, is struggling - not just with finding continuity, incision and finishing on the pitch but also with a deeper crisis of confidence.
This morning's match will have been less about whether the England team can match the All Blacks; it will be much more about whether in defeat, the players, coaches and country at large can see enough light at the end of the tunnel to want to keep digging in the same direction.
Martin Johnson went into this with open eyes and he is there for the long haul.
