Tom Wood has demanded England earn regular victories over New Zealand to demonstrate his belief they are narrowing the gap on the world champions.

The All Blacks enter Saturday’s Test intent on avenging last year’s record 38-21 defeat at at Twickenham, their only loss in 33 matches dating back to August 2011.

Victories over Australia and Argentina have put England on the brink of a triumphant clean sweep this autumn and despite some alarming flaws in their performances, they have developed a winning habit.

World champions New Zealand offer the ultimate benchmark of progress and Wood insists scalping the All Blacks must become a regular occurrence.

“We want to get to the position where we don’t declare national holidays every time we beat them. We want it to be a regular occurrence,” the flanker said.

“We want it to be a level playing field. We want to be considered their equals or better than them. We want it to be that when anyone comes to Twickenham, they are underdogs, not us.

“You have got to hand it to the All Blacks – they are still the benchmark in world rugby. They have got threats all over the park and strength in depth, but we are getting there.”

Facing New Zealand is a test of mental strength much as physical, but England succeeded in mystifying the world’s outstanding team in their own minds last December.

It was one of the great moments in the nation’s rugby history, produced on the back of a fearless mindset that pierced the aura of invincibility that shrouds the All Blacks.

“There is a psychological aspect to playing New Zealand because everyone puts them on a pedestal,” Wood said.

“A lot of teams are beaten before they go into the game because they expect the All Blacks to win.

“We are going to treat them like anybody else.”

Wood, who started last December’s rout at blindside flanker, enjoyed a spell at North Otago in 2006.

“I don’t claim to be some sort of expert on New Zealand rugby but having lived there and played against some of those characters, it does demystify them,” he said.

“It brings them down to earth in your mind and makes you see them as only human. That was a phrase I used last year.”