Back in Leicestershire the mood will be grim. Martin Johnson has been around long enough to recognise an embarrassing defeat - from a range of 12,000 miles, this was a remote-control car crash. Not since Sir Clive Woodward's Lions hurtled back to earth in the first Test of the 2005 series in Christchurch has so much pre-match optimism been so comprehensively punctured.
There will be talk of learning curves but that would be to deflect the sobering truth. If England looked comfortable enough in the first 20 minutes they were blown away thereafter by an All Black side who played like men with scores to settle. England's players have just negotiated a new pay deal with the Rugby Football Union which has more of a performance-related slant to it. Luckily for them the revised agreement has yet to kick in.
Unless there is a sharp improvement in Christchurch next weekend, there may also be implications in terms of Johnson's first Elite Player Squad due to be announced early next month. Charlie Hodgson, in particular, had a chastening night, not least when he waved Ma'a Nonu through immediately prior to Mils Muliaina's 43rd minute try. Without Topsy Ojo's two opportunist tries and the sterling efforts of Luke Narraway and James Haskell to stem the tide, it could have been a savage wipe-out. The All Blacks scored four tries in all and had the game tucked away with half an hour still to go.
What will upset England most is that they started encouragingly, only to fall away as a result of their own errors. Two Olly Barkley penalties flew wide and David Strettle should have scored early on in the left corner. Jerome Kaino's tackle was a good one but a dive from slightly further out would have made the defender's job significantly harder. A poor pass from Hodgson going right also cost England a promising position and three points when Narraway was penalised for hands in the ruck. A fumbled restart led to Conrad Smith's first try and the momentum suddenly belonged to the All Blacks. At this level these are not insignificant misjudgments.
There is no question that Dan Carter is a class act and Smith's intelligence makes him a dangerous opponent in any company, particularly in harness with Nonu. But England's defensive strategy often looked muddled, with work clearly needed on Ojo's positioning, while too many turnovers cost them dear. Nor were they dynamic enough at the breakdown, in contrast to the more urgent All Black forwards. Before the start, the acting tour manager Rob Andrew was saying how satisfied he was with England's preparations, only to have his bold words reduced to ashes. He and Johnson now have some serious selection issues to address, with changes at half-back seemingly certain.
It is important to remember, however, that England pretty much had their best XV out, with the exceptions of Simon Shaw, Danny Cipriani, Paul Sackey and Josh Lewsey. Of those, they missed Shaw the most. Combating New Zealand's physicality is essential for any side seeking a result against Graham Henry's side and, for all Andrew Sheridan's muscle power, England did not make the consistent inroads they had hoped. A 17 point margin, in the end, flattered Andrew's team.
The next time they visit Auckland, moreover, will be for the 2011 World Cup. It will be fascinating to see how many of this team bounce back stronger for this harsh experience but the signs are not good for Christchurch. New Zealanders are suddenly starting to enjoy their rugby again, their backs have begun to fizz and beating the Poms is never a chore. The phone lines between the UK and the southern hemisphere will be buzzing over the next 48 hours.
