The All Blacks should be flattered by Eddie Jones' comments about wanting to be No.1 in the world.
I suppose it's human nature to go after the top dog and the All Blacks have been top dog for 100 years.
The rising challengers are always going to want to have a go, but take nothing away from what Eddie Jones has achieved in his short England tenure; he has done fantastic job since the World Cup. He has shown his class as one of the best coaches in the world and put England back where they wanted to be; it might not be what the rest of the world wants, but that is good and it's great for world rugby.
Jones will know more than most that England tend to rise to the challenge when they're on Australian soil, hence their success in 2003 World Cup when he was the opposing coach.
The way England look at Australia is that they love to bully them and they'll have that mindset again this weekend. They will want to destroy their scrum; they'll want to get stuck into their forwards.
Even when Australia are on top of their game and their forwards are going well, England still go back to their way of beating Australia -- they strangle and bully them. It hasn't changed for decades and I can't see it changing this weekend.
You can be assured they will want to go out and get very, very physical with the Australians. You only get one chance to make history and Eddie Jones will have the England team firing with that in mind.
At the same time Michael Cheika will also be wounded, and on home turf. To come from the point where Australia were World Cup finalists to facing a series defeat with their pants around their ankles is not something they are going to want to do.
This is the game to watch this weekend. It's do-or-die and that's what we want to see in Test match rugby.
They're two class coaches involved and that is a battle in itself.
While it is often said that Super Rugby isn't reflected in Test rugby, I think in Australia's case it has been. Their sides have had a poor Super Rugby season when you compare them with New Zealand's franchises.
In New Zealand, there is a far greater development of combinations within the franchises. For example, you look at Aaron Smith and Lima Sopoaga, TJ Perenara and Beauden Barrett, Tawera Kerr-Barlow and Aaron Cruden, the all-Canterbury front-row at times and there are others. Those combinations are important and I think the dilution of resources in Australia's franchises is probably hurting them.
They don't get to spend as much time together, while every coach has probably got a different game plan.
The beauty of what New Zealand has always done is to share knowledge within. Even though they might be at different franchises, the coaches come together collectively and openly talk about the way they want to play and it is up to the coach to take what he wants to away from the meetings and tweak that around the players he has.
We're not the biggest country in the world but you want to make the most of what you have got. It is that sharing of knowledge that has made New Zealand strong.
Looking at the New Zealand vs. Wales series, I have to say I love it when guys get an opportunity and they take it. I'm talking about Beauden Barrett, of course.
He has made a huge difference in the two Tests when he has come on the field. Just his turn of pace; he showed in the World Cup final that he is one of the fastest men over 10m, and even over 100m, in the world game.
I don't think the Welsh defence expected the turn of pace that Barrett can put on from a standing start; he got right outside Jamie Roberts on his try, having done the same when setting up Ben Smith's try.
Watching on TV it is easy to go, 'oh they missed him there'; but it's surprising just how quickly he can go and that is where defences underestimate how this guy can turn on the after-burners and leave you grasping at thin air.
Barrett could be something special in that No. 10 jersey. He's deceptively fast, but he's also got a bit of power about him and is able to brush guys off with his fend. He also has great awareness of those around him and looks right at home at Test-match level despite many of his opportunities coming via the reserves bench.
Unfortunately, a bit like Ben Smith, he carries that utility tag title. You might be the best player in the world, but because you play so many positions the selectors can move you around just to get other players on the field.
Now that Aaron Cruden is out, it provides an interesting question of whether Barrett gets to start at fly-half or if it's time to give Lima Sopoaga a run. I think what Barrett showed at the weekend is: 'Hey, I want it and if I can put that performance on how dare you not pick me'.
That's the beauty of taking the opportunity when you can and now it's right back on the selectors' lap.
One observation I would make about the series is that there has been criticism of the All Blacks not playing well in certain areas such as the breakdown. Fans need to get over it for goodness sake. We expected this.
It's the second Test match of the season of a new group of players -- they're going to be rusty. They are not the same group of players who were at the World Cup; they're without six top-level international players plus others who are in the Sevens team.
We shouldn't be surprised by these things. But the critics have come out trying to justify putting pen to paper.
At the end of the day, let's have some patience with this team because if we went into a World Cup next week we probably wouldn't win it.
But we need to give them the experience that is going to make this team ready in four years' time.