These are confusing times for New Zealanders. Usually they know where they are with English rugby teams: arrogant, ferry-jumping losers the lot of ’em. But, suddenly, their world seems to have flipped; in their midst are dozens of fit, humble, purposeful athletes totally uninterested in the fleshpots of Auckland. The pantomime villains of yore are nowhere to be seen.

To say the local media are flummoxed is an understatement. The most laddish thing any English players have done is pose for a game-for-a-laugh picture of themselves having a pedicure on their day off. Auckland’s harbour master is twiddling his thumbs, in stark contrast to 2011, and panic-stricken columnists have started accusing Stuart Lancaster of being “far too nice”.

For older All Blacks supporters, the prospects in the buildup to Saturday’s first Test are similarly disconcerting. England can no longer be accused of sticking it up their jumpers, playing by rote, moving the ball with the facility of arthritic octogenarians and kicking the pimples off it. Lancaster’s side for the first Test may be missing a few but there is not a hint of sullen defeatism about those he has picked. While the hosts are not nervous, exactly, they are uncertain as to precisely what is coming.

Their players have also had to do some hasty diplomatic homework judging by the much-improved knowledge of the English squad displayed by several All Blacks at their pre-breakfast team announcement press conference. Earlier this week, the lock Brodie Retallick failed to correctly name a single English opponent. By Thursday every interview was interspersed with earnest assurances that “we really rate Mike/Joe/Chris/Kyle”.

“Their environment seems to be one of: ‘Keep quiet and get on with the work.’ That makes them dangerous,” insisted the All Blacks’ head coach, Steve Hansen “We’re expecting a really good contest.”

If the visitors’ positive reinvention extends to the scoreboard, it will be even more unnerving for New Zealanders. Not only was the pre-match psychology much simpler when English sports teams swanned around the place like they still ruled the empire, but the Rugby World Cup is being staged in England next year. As defending champions, the All Blacks are already looking at the improving hosts and wondering if the nice, increasingly well-organised guys in white might just be contenders, too.

When Hansen suggested: “England are probably the most improved side in world rugby in the last 18 months,” this was not an not idle platitude. Because the English, when they do manage to get their best players on the field, are already further up a steeply rising graph than some Kiwis appreciate. Fewer northern hemisphere games are televised in these parts than vice versa and the entrenched belief that the Super 15 is a superior product to anything in Europe still pertains. This is a dangerous assumption on the eve of a three-Test series. As Wayne Smith, the All Blacks’ World Cup-winning assistant coach, used to say: “Super Rugby is Mars and Test rugby is Venus.” Moving seamlessly from one to the other is not always easy.

England have also spent a lot more time together than their opponents over the past six months, while the absence of the Dan Carter – currently on sabbatical – and the injured Kieran Read from the Auckland teamsheet is no handicap, either.

What remains to be seen, however, is whether England can outflank an All Black squad whose starting XV boasts 779 caps compared to England’s 299. Julian Savea is also missing but Hansen can still rely on a backline containing the distinctly useful talents of Israel Dagg, Ben Smith, Conrad Smith, Cory Jane and Ma’a Nonu. The forwards, led by Richie McCaw, are no slouches either, even if some are a bit hazy about their opponents’ names.

“Our tight five has got to make sure we front up, do our job and hopefully nullify them,” stressed Retallick’s second-row partner, Sam Whitelock. “If we don’t show up we can be embarrassed.”

Hence the determined effort of Hansen to impress on the home team that the record-breaking unbeaten year of 2013 is now history. “If we hang on to last year we’ll get thumped. We’ve got to put a full stop after it,” he said. “This England side can do some things better than we can and we need to make sure we improve in those areas.”

In certain parts of the southern hemisphere, nevertheless, England will forever be whinging Poms who lack humility and think they are better than they really are. If the current mob can return home later this month having made multiple friends rather than enemies and achieved at least one Test victory on Kiwi soil in the buildup to next year’s World Cup, even the oldest of dog-eared stereotypes may finally have to be laid to rest.

New Zealand team to face England in first Test, 8.35am BST Saturday 7 June

I Dagg (Crusaders), B Smith (Highlanders), C Smith (Hurricanes), M Nonu (Blues), C Jane (Hurricanes), A Cruden (Chiefs), A Smith (Highlanders), T Woodcock (Blues), D Coles (Hurricanes), O Franks (Crusaders), B Retallick (Chiefs), S Whitelock (Crusaders), L Messam (Chiefs), R McCaw (Crusaders, capt), J Kaino (Blues). Replacements K Mealamu (Blues), W Crockett (Crusaders), C Faumuina (Blues) P Tuipulotu (Blues), V Vito (Hurricanes), TJ Perenara (Hurricanes), B Barrett (Hurricanes), M Fekitoa (Highlanders).