New Zealand's domination of world rugby, more often than not with South Africa as their main rivals, has long been acknowledged. After England's record home loss to South Africa last week, by 36 points, it is instructive to find that the worst defeat the All Blacks have suffered on home soil was by 14 points, against France in 1994 in Christchurch.

The only home union to have won in New Zealand is England - twice, by four points (1973) and two points (2003) - although the Lions posted their best win, by 13 points, in Wellington in 1993. Two years later, the All Blacks reached the World Cup final, but the present tour demonstrates how players, even wearing black, need to grow into their role, just as England are doing.

The best example of this is Rodney So'oialo, a core member at No 8 with more than 50 caps to his name but whose inexperience was exposed the night he won his second cap, against England in Wellington in 2003, in a position that had not been satisfactorily filled for some years.

So'oialo was 23 and opposing him were the England side who, five months later, would win the World Cup with a back row of Richard Hill, Neil Back and Lawrence Dallaglio - “white orcs on steroids” was how one New Zealand columnist subsequently described the England pack.

No wonder So'oialo looked naive in comparison, most notably when England packed on their own line with a six-man scrum (having lost two players to the sin-bin) and So'oialo tried to pick and drive his way through - and failed. But New Zealand understood what he could bring and he matured as a player and as an individual who would go on to captain Wellington Hurricanes.

They have done the same with Ma'a Nonu, who was making his debut that wild June night. He has not always been the first choice at centre and he has had to learn that there is more to midfield play than blasting straight through an opponent - although he does that rather well - and that self-restraint is a key element to winning internationals.

But Graham Henry, the New Zealand head coach, considers him among the players to have settled best into the side this year, a year when Henry needed his senior players to stand up and be counted after the unexpected failure at last year's World Cup. It has been a clear case of allowing an individual to find his feet in front of the most demanding public in the rugby world.

That public will expect their team to return home next week not only with a third grand slam but also rugby's newest trophy, the Hillary Shield, which was unveiled at Twickenham yesterday. It will be contested by the two countries in perpetuity, outside World Cups, and commemorates the late Sir Edmund Hillary, the New Zealand mountaineer, whose widow, June, will watch the match.