New year, same outcome, an English victory against the grain but one of substance and character that completes a remarkable run of a record 15 successive victories. It was a historic moment if not a vintage display.

It took a try in the 70th minute from former rugby league star, Worcester centre Ben Te’o, on his first Six Nations appearance, to seal the deal. It was a score fitting of the outcome it brought – passionate and defiant.

England rolled back the stone and came back from the apparent dead. It was the stuff of champions in that England had to dig deep to make it happen, to subdue a born-again France full of bite and sparkle with No 8 Louis Picamoles a monstrous presence. But this is what great teams do, live off their wits, absorb pressure and prevail. The All Blacks are masters of that trick.