All that has gone before it during this Lions year Six Nations Championship was placed into renewed perspective on a weekend that brought an assertion of superiority at a critical moment as the home team powered to match and tournament victory at Twickenham.

A week before what had previously been a much anticipated denouement, this competition which began with some already installing a Welshman as captain of the tourists, accompanied in the Test side by several of the Irishmen responsible for this season’s historic victory over the All Blacks and even by a few players from an improving Scotland squad, was prematurely over. We have a winner and, for all that it had previously been accused of under-performing, a thoroughly deserving one in the shape of an England team that has thus far proven invincible since Eddie Jones took charge.

The Australian’s skill has been in assessing the richness of talent available to him and utilising it to best effect, as noted by the player Jones has entrusted with the generalship, albeit George Ford is accompanied by an antipodean style second five eighth.

“One thing with Eddie is that he’ll pick a team to win that weekend, whether he thinks me and Owen (Farrell) at 10-12 is the way to do it or whether he thinks a different combination is,” Ford observed after the pair had repeatedly thrust Jonathan Joseph cutting edge into Scotland's soft underbelly in claiming a quick and easy kill.

Understanding the intuitive awareness of these two young Lancastrians has been, in every sense, central to Jones’ success to date.

It is no coincidence that both are sons of rugby league internationals, so were versed in the practices of the sport that has been professional so much longer and consequently breeds the sort of grasp of what to and when that is bound to earn the respect of one versed in antipodean sporting philosophy.

On reflection, for those of us who followed England’s 2015 World Cup campaign, the partnership invites conjecture as to what might have been had Stuart Lancaster, their then coach and a fellow Northerner with a strong appreciation of the 13 man code, had had the courage of his convictions. They had played in this twin play-maker formation as youngsters and he had identified their combined potential but only utilised it during that World Cup in the match against minnows Uruguay when it was already too late.

By contrast Jones was thought to have a preference for including Henry Slade and/or Manu Tuilagi before injuries forced his hand ahead of last year’s Six Nations, but if so fate has been kind to the coach, while Ford is clearly appreciative of having a second decision maker with whom to share the burden.

“Personally for me he’s another set of eyes one or two out,” the stand-off said of Farrell.

“He’s a brilliant communicator who understands the game. If we can get the ball to the space pretty well with two distributors there and two people who can look up and see space, get the ball into the hands of people like JJ (try hat-trick scorer Joseph), Elliot (Daly) and Anthony Watson it gives us the ability to run, kick or pass and be a threat to defences in more than one area.”

For England making such calls is what it is all about, because there should never be any shortage of possession with which to work or finishing power to utilise given the size and nature of the athletes that would be at their disposal even if they were not using their financial clout to persuade players to switch national allegiance.

As an aside it should be noted that doing so represents a far greater threat to the international game when it involves players who would be first choice in their country of origin, than when those deemed surplus to requirements are given chances elsewhere.

The reality, though, is that in terms of resources it is a nonsense either way that tiny little New Zealand has been able to stave off England’s might for as long as it has, but it now feels like it is only a matter of time before what should be the natural order of things is established.

Jones is right to identify an Ireland team that has nothing to lose as a major threat next weekend, but as irksome as some of the mind games he uses the media to play may be, the evidence is that his internal messaging seems to be striking the perfect balance between concentrating fully on the forthcoming challenge, while retaining an awareness that the long-term goal means striving relentlessly to get as close to perfection in thought and deed as is humanly possible.

“Our next focus is next week against Ireland,” said Ford, who will celebrate his 24th birthday two days before winning his 35th cap.

“We’re hugely excited by that challenge and are hoping to go in and try to create some history and some memories with each other. We will go and prepare as well as we can this week to give ourselves the best shot to do that because we’re hugely motivated to do it. We acknowledge that we’ve obviously won the Six Nations but we want to go one better and try to get a Grand Slam.”

Surpassing the All Blacks’ Test record is the additional reward on offer and with each victory that ultimate prize of doing so in the world rankings seems ever closer to being within reach.