None of the conversations I’ve had since arriving back into Crusaders mode has altered that way of thinking either.

Some of the lads in Christchurch remember when Eddie Jones took over Japan in 2012, three years out from a World Cup, how he imposed a spartan regime of training for 2013 and 2014 before altering the programme with a view to performing and peaking in England in 2015 – which is precisely what Japan did.

Is he doing the same with England? Two bonus-point wins into the championship, England are playing a high-tempo, very fluid game compared to Ireland.

The selection of the teams for the games against Ireland and France were underpinned by the Vunipola brothers, Manu Tuilagi, Maro Itoje and Owen Farrell.

It has been the first series since 2013 when the big five were simultaneously available for selection. They were the players forcing the tempo in Dublin, controlling the ball, winning the body language.

Forget issues about forward passes and interceptions. Had those moments gone against England, they would have found another way.

There’s no point avoiding the inconvenient truth that England were better than Ireland in every aspect of the game at the beginning of the month and that they have catapulted over us with the nature of that victory.

Bullied only begins to describe it.

Now it gets interesting. England go to Cardiff next week minus 40% of their fab five. Maybe you get away without one but I’m not sure two, especially up front.

Mako Vunipola has freakish power and a big skillset and it’s a different team when he’s not there. Itoje brings huge presence in all facets of his game.

Eddie Jones reckons England are up against the best Welsh team ever. Eddie’s a ticket, isn’t he?

Wales have won 11 on the spin and if they make it 12, this will (statistically at least) make them the best Welsh team ever.

Is Eddie right? Wales’ victims in that run are Italy twice, Argentina twice, France twice, South Africa twice, Scotland, Australia and Tonga.

It’s impressive, but there’s no England, Ireland or All Blacks in there. I am not convinced they possess that top end quality.

However, Gatland must be thinking his numbers have come up with Maro and Mako missing.

The majority of rugby will be glued to Cardiff next week, but on Monday I was still halfway between Dubai and Sydney getting my head around Ireland, and the remaining three games of the tournament — the final three competitive outings before the World Cup.

Injuries, impact, form and the lack of it has the Irish situation looking a little destabilised — from the outside looking in.

The Scotland victory was a good day for a lot of players for wildly different reasons — Rob Kearney, Joey Carbery and Sean O’Brien for underlining class is permanent.

Ultan Dillane and Quin Roux for big impact, Tadhg Beirne and Iain Henderson for ‘look what we’ve been missing’.

Unquestionably, confidence levels have dipped after the England reverse.

Joe alluded to the anxiety that was evident in Murrayfield, where players weren’t seeing where space was, and not getting it there because fellas aren’t taking as many risks as they need to.

If Henderson and Beirne can get back for Rome, it gives them a massive opportunity to stake a claim not only for the remaining two fixtures, but the autumn also.

As the England game underlined, the Six Nations isn’t a platform for finding form or proving your fitness.

That has to be foremost in the thoughts of the Irish management — if these lads want to play they need to be performing with their clubs the week before, as in this weekend in the context of Rome.

It’s got to the critical stage where Ireland will need to meet their own exacting standards and deliver a polished performance against Italy.

There’s no point in a drab affair. Be the aggressor and put their rhythm on the game. It’s a dangerous time.

If they don’t deliver something approaching their rhythmic best the sound of ‘we’re three games into a Six Nations and we aren’t firing, what’s up?’ will be easy to hear.

All of a sudden, we’re all worked up into a crisis.

Joe will go with the majority of his strongest hand. Down a game already, he can’t afford not to.

Maybe 10 of the front liners and a handful of players management envisages having an impact off the bench in the remaining games against France and Wales. Within that, there are complications.

The frequency with which the centre combination has changed is an obvious one. I wouldn’t be sure Garry Ringrose will be back for Rome, and fit or not, Ireland has the Henshaw conundrum to consider, be it in Rome or at home to France.

Johnny Sexton needs to start in Rome too because he hasn’t enough minutes under his belt in 2019.

The pummeling he takes in some games is an inevitable consequence of drawing in defending players, which is a very strong part of Johnny’s game. It’s a risk and reward thing.

The problem and the difficulty, for Johnny and Ireland is that opposition are focusing on the fact they are getting a return and hurting him.

Ironically, and bizarrely, it was one of Johnny’s team-mates who ultimately put him out of the game last Saturday.

The championship minutes Joey Carbery’s been getting are very productive, but he cannot be expected to have Sexton’s game management yet.

Whatever about Ireland’s issues for Rome, they pale in comparison to the state of mayhem France now finds itself in after Twickenham.

Embarrassment has moved onto a whole other realm now. It’s going to be difficult for Jacques Brunel to ride this out, but most eyes are on what his boss, Bernard Laporte, does next.

The easy out is throwing everything forward to their hosting of the 2023 World Cup, but that shouldn’t be to the exclusion of this RWC surely?

They have to make a call on 2019. Deal with the immediate problems and start thinking of 2023 at the start of next year.

It would help if they used talent in their best positions. Huget, Penaud, and Fickou were not utilised in their preferred back slots last Sunday and it was painfully evident.

By the time I landed in Christchurch on Tuesday lunchtime, I’d just enough time and energy to have a quick shower and report for Crusaders training.

As you read this, we are en route to Auckland for tomorrow’s Super Rugby campaign opener against the Blues.

There’s a lot of pre-season between December 3rd and this weekend, and the urge to transfer that work into performance is very high.

The Blues have changed head coach, bringing in Leon McDonald, and possess a lot of X-Factor with Sonny Bill Williams, the return of Ma’a Nonu, the two Ioanes, but we are hoping that our collective will outweigh that.

We have some All Blacks whose minutes have to be managed, so there’s no Sam Whitelock, Kieran Read and Codie Taylor for a bit. But there’s a lot of quality there on our roster.

New Zealand rugby has been through its questioning time since November, with a lot of soul-searching done.

History proves they are very good at coming up with the right solutions. England are big-time on the radar now here too.

I was asked was the performance in Dublin better than Ireland’s at Twickenham last year? I believe it was.

This is my latest stint soaking up the experience and education of New Zealand rugby. July is a long way off.

There’s a fantastic group of people in this Crusader organisation who’ve built achievement on the back of excellence and honesty and a willingness to learn.

I need to be all over this.