Pommie Jonny v Dan the man

OPINION: Get ready for the Dan and Jonny show as the All Blacks head to Twickenham to take on England this week.

But I don't think Dan Carter against Jonny Wilkinson is an even contest these days.

It's hard to escape the feeling that Wilkinson is wearing the England No 10 jersey by default at the moment. Don't get me wrong. Wilkinson is a wonderful player, a World Cup-winner who has bravely fought his way back from many injuries that would have killed off the desire of lesser players.

And he certainly seems to be rejuvenated by his move to the French scene in Toulon.

But to have him back running the show for England is a reflection of their inability to develop an alternative. His frequent absences gave them plenty of opportunities to try to do that. They have tried many players with varying styles and none have grabbed the jersey and made it their own. Now in their hour of need they have gone back to the 30-year-old who kicked off his test career in 1998.

I just think its an unfair comparison between Wilkinson and Carter these days. When Wilkinson was winning all the accolades and a certain trophy, he was doing it on the back of a pack that was absolutely fantastic and gave him pretty much an armchair ride to control the game, particularly with his booming boot.

When he turned up in New Zealand with the 2005 British & Irish Lions for his first real showdown with Carter, it was always going to be a case of which team won the battle up front was going to give their superstar playmaker the best opportunities to shadow his opposite. The All Blacks completely dominated that series whitewash. It started up front where they more than matched the big Lions pack and as a consequence we watched Carter produce the form of his career. He was on another planet compared to Wilkinson then.

I also suspect the game has moved on a bit from Wilkinson now because I don't believe he has the ability to provide the full package that Carter can.

Wilkinson is good but he's very mechanical with everything he does. When he was at his peak, it wasn't just the forwards that were helping him but also the backs around him.

I think Carter has shown he can run a game by himself if he needs to. A good example of that is the harmony he quickly developed with Ma'a Nonu last year. Playing Nonu's devastating running game at second-five puts a bit more heat on the No 10 because he effectively has to do all the kicking. Carter lapped that up. When Carter was injured early this season, we simply didn't see that same smoothness when Stephen Donald was asked to link with Nonu. Carter's running game and ability to seize the moment also stands him apart from Wilkinson now. There will be the inevitable comparisons between the two in London this week and all the theories will be tested by what happens at Twickenham. And the Twickenham factor shouldn't be under-estimated. It's a powerful ally for the English team. I can remember playing them at Old Trafford in 1997 and we won comfortably 25-8. Two weeks later at Twickers we came away with a 26-all draw.

If they get their tails up there they can be dangerous and they can really frustrate opponents.

As an All Black it's fair to say England are one of the teams we love to beat the most. History rightly says the Springboks are our greatest foe and the last decade or two have certainly taken our trans-Tasman rivalry with the Wallabies to new heights.

But England tend to irk you more than anyone. Players like Will Carling and Lawrence Dallaglio had an ability to really get under your skin and the English seem to have a superiority complex. They are always very confident and they talk a good game although it's not always backed up by performance or facts. Normally if you are touring up north you would look at England at Twickenham as being the test. I'm not sure that's the case on this tour. England aren't their usual quality right now and the test the following week against France looms as the real toughie for the All Blacks, particularly after the French beat the Boks yesterday.

But believe me, the All Blacks won't want to trip up at Twickenham. I don't think Dan Carter, on the back of Richie McCaw and the New Zealand forwards, will allow that to happen.

- © Fairfax NZ News