ENGLAND lock Steve Borthwick has urged the world champions to keep their improvement going as they build towards an assault on this season's RBS 6 Nations title.

Current form suggests arch-rivals England and France will battle it out for top honours in European rugby's blue riband event, which kicks off on February 4.

Before then, England have a final autumn hurdle to negotiate when Samoa visit Twickenham next Saturday, yet the signs point to recent Six Nations disappointments being put them behind them.

England have won just five of their last 10 Six Nations matches but a comfortable victory over Australia and a fiercely-fought battle with 2007 World Cup favourites New Zealand suggests better times lie ahead.

"The overriding emotion is one of huge disappointment," said Bath forward Borthwick, following England's 23-19 loss to the Grand Slam-chasing All Blacks.

"We were so close at times, and if we had just taken a couple more chances, then maybe the game could have been ours.

"We were desperate for the win, and we are incredibly disappointed not to have it, but there will be positives to be taken when all the dust settles. We kept going and kept at them.

"We came so close to beating a side like New Zealand, and it is going to be a huge learning experience for us," he added.

"The improvement has been evident from the Australia game, and it is just about keeping the group together, carrying it into Samoa next week, and then the Six Nations.

"But great credit to New Zealand. They play with great skill, commitment and physicality. It was a big effort by both teams - we knew it would be physical, and it certainly was."

England produced their best performance for two years, and they had New Zealand in all sorts of strife during an immense Twickenham confrontation between World Cup holders and world champions-elect.

But the All Blacks even overcame the debilitating consequences of seeing three players sin-binned - Tony Woodcock, Neemia Tialata and Chris Masoe were all yellow-carded during a punishing second period - and will now complete a successful Grand Slam tour for the first time since 1978 if they beat Murrayfield hosts Scotland next Saturday.

England captain Martin Corry got his team off to a flyer by scoring a third-minute try as his team easily gave New Zealand their biggest test since they left Auckland last month.

Fly-half Charlie Hodgson chipped in with 14 points, yet New Zealand ultimately prevailed through touchdowns from captain Tana Umaga and hooker Keven Mealamu, while the outstanding Dan Carter converted both scores and booted three penalties.

"We knew what it would take to beat this side. The biggest mistake was that we got ourselves in a position to win the game and could not just close it out," said Corry.

"This New Zealand side had never been put under pressure. We wanted to put them under a load of pressure and see how they reacted."