New Zealand, like a long black cloud, lie next on England’s agenda. They are in no great shape, as their struggles in Milan at the weekend indicated, but they perform the basics well and will have Dan Carter back at fly half on Saturday. What hope is there for an England side still flailing for direction?

Against Argentina they completely failed to handle the weight of expectation. Not even their best friends will make them favourites to beat the All Blacks, so does this make life easier?

Yes, most certainly. Underdogs on their own turf, as they were in 1997 when a new-look team were expected to concede a series 2-0 to New Zealand but emerged after a 25-8 defeat in Manchester with a draw in the second encounter at Twickenham, is not the worst position. “The dynamic does change next week,” Martin Johnson, the team manager, said. “The All Blacks are consistent in their performance, if we make the same mistakes we’ll be in big trouble.”

But England must erase the doubts, the lack of conviction that led to the likes of Graham Rowntree and Jon Callard, members of their coaching panel, appearing on the pitch with such frequency in the guise of water carriers to offer advice. They have to learn to cope for the 80 minutes. “I know we’ll go in as underdogs, I can’t influence that but I can influence us preparing as well as we can so that we can put ourselves into a position where we can win the game,” Steve Borthwick, the captain, said.

Where were the plus points on which England can build?

From the first minute to the 80th, Lewis Moody was inspirational. He is one of the form open-side flankers at the moment, and he talks straight, too. “Sometimes you find yourself waiting for another player to do something,” Moody said. “We were waiting for people to do things, waiting for [Argentina] to kick, [but] there was no real energy.

“You can’t plan for errors, but maybe there was that bit of pressure that came from the defeat [against Australia]. We’re not satisfied with the performance but we’re certainly satisfied with the win.”

James Haskell picked up the pace from Moody. Given that Haskell has never been allowed to settle as a No 8, that Stade Français use him as a flanker, that his tight forwards creaked a bit at the scrum in the first half, he can be pleased with his game. He is dangerous in space, and he is starting to function more as part of a unit rather than an individual.

The lineout worked well and that is not the best feature of New Zealand’s game just now. England stole four Argentina throws and lost only one. They provided a decent platform from which the back division should have created more than a poorly constructed kicking game. Moreover, they prevented Argentina playing the ball off the floor, rolling the maul or picking and driving, and therefore removed one of their most potent weapons.

Should Martin Johnson change his starting XV?

He must. He cannot expose Ugo Monye at full back to the tactical kicking of Carter. Even against Argentina, Monye made some horrendous mistakes that forced him to return to his natural position of wing at half-time and England’s best back, Mark Cueto, moved to full back. The switch should have been made sooner, but it does not mean that Monye should be discarded — just remember how well he played for the Lions in the summer.

Cueto could start at 15 but what is so wrong with Ben Foden, of Northampton? Yet again at the weekend he played well as his club overturned Saracens’ unbeaten domestic record, he plays at No 15 regularly and he has that touch of razzle-dazzle. Mind you, there are others in this England squad who seem to have had their “get up and go” surgically removed and if Foden is to play, who goes?

Matt Banahan’s size and speed have not counted for as much as England hoped they would and his position is under threat. Simon Shaw is also available now and he will surely displace Louis Deacon at lock; much of Deacon’s graft is unappreciated but he lacks Shaw’s presence and Johnson is not going to dump his captain so there is only one vacancy in the second row.

And what about England’s tactical shortcomings?

For the second week, an opponent stressed England problems. A week earlier, Rocky Elsom observed that Australia’s defence was stretched so little by England, his players could stand off rucks and mauls to avoid conceding penalties, a damning indictment by the Wallabies’ captain. On Saturday, Santiago Phelan, the Argentina coach, said that his players will have to work much harder against Wales, “who have a more dynamic game”.

The Argentinians knew how England would play; their players are footballers to their fingertips, they kicked sensibly, they tackled well. New Zealand will do these basics better and they will punish England on the counter if they receive ball kicked down their throats. England have to ask questions and they have shown no sign of doing so this autumn.