Preview - Australia v England

Once more unto the breach...

How will history come to judge this English season? It started with Rugby World Cup celebrations in Sydney, but is now in grave danger of disappearing down a Brisbane dunny on Saturday.

England will appreciate the irony of finishing up where they started out. The whole season - peppered with famous wins and famous losses - has had a distinctly surreal touch to it, and they will be hoping that the conclusion of their epic 11-month journey will be more 'perfect circle' than 'foot of helter-skelter'.

And why not? Rugby can throw up the most startling finales, and no two sides have perfected that art as well as the old foes who will lock horns at the Suncorp Stadium this weekend.

Whilst the All Blacks seem to hold a place of fearful reverence in the minds of the England players, the Wallabies appear to have no such grasp on them - in fact, the tourists have not lost to the two-time world champions since 1999.

But all that is history now - as are the good ol' days of 2003 - and Australia are now overwhelming favourites to thump the Poms on Saturday.

England arrive in Australia licking their wounds and in trouble with the law. They are shedding blood, trophies and respect faster than Joe Rokocoko can run - and they have just 80 minutes left to redeem the tail-end of their season. As last stands come, this one has 'Hollywood' written all over it.

Can Rocky pick himself off the ropes one final time? Definitely.

With the greatest respect to Scotland - who played superbly - England would not have cowered at the sight of the Australian pack that groped their way to the Hopetoun Cup over the last two weekends.

Scotland had the run of things up front, and found the Wallaby defence wanting at times - but, in the end, the blues were just hopelessly outgunned by the brilliance of Australia's runners.

If England can bully the Wallaby pack off the ball - and starve Gregan, Larkham and company of possession - there is no reason on earth why they can't win this one.

Then again, New Zealand's tight game was questioned prior to the England series - and the black pack slaughtered the English in the first Test.

England are finding out about the side-effects of their new status. Teams seem to grow an extra two inches when they face world champions - four inches if that team happens to be English! -  and the tourists will find a rabid Wallaby side waiting for them in Brisbane.

Saturday's result will depend on how much more work Messrs Woodward and Dallaglio can milk out of their men - and the dairy analogy is used consciously: the amount of time they have spent out on the table has been directly proportional to their quality.

Still, England are too good to bid farewell to the season - this season of all seasons - with a fourth consecutive defeat. If the English can summon up the blood for a final push, it will be the Wallabies who will be left with a sour taste in their mouths.

Players to watch:

For Australia: If there was a weak link in the Australian backs it would be Wendell Sailor - quite how he is preferred to Chris Latham remains a mystery. England planners will have marked out an avenue running right past the big wing, and England fly-half Charlie Hodgson will fancy capitalising on Sailor's slow turning circle.

For England: All eyes - most definitely 30 narrowed Wallaby ones - will be on England new boy, Tim Payne, who will undergo a baptism of fire on Saturday. Little is known of Payne in England - let alone Down Under - and the Australian pack will be making sure his fist foray into the Test arena is a miserable one.   

Head to head: Lote Tuqiri (Australia) v Tom Voyce (England): Choosing these two for a head to head is probably a bit of a misnomer as both wings tend to come in and look to punch holes in the middle of the park rather than take on their opposite man. But both showed some fine legs last weekend, and will be relishing the wide spaces of the Suncorp Stadium.

Recent results:

In 2003: England won 20-17 in Sydney (RWC)
In 2003: England won 25-14 in Melbourne
In 2002: England won 32-31 in London
In 2001: England won 21-15 in London
In 2000: England won 22-19 in London
In 1999: Australia won 22-15 in Sydney 
In 1998: Australia won 12-11 in London 
In 1998: Australia won 76-0 in Brisbane

Prediction: England have just enough in the tank to sign off with a shock win - but it won't be pretty!
Planet Rugby prediction: England by 4 points.
sportingodds.com prediction: Australia by 9 points.

The teams:

Australia: 15 Joe Roff, 14 Wendell Sailor, 13 Stirling Mortlock, 12 Matt Giteau, 11 Lote Tuqiri, 10 Stephen Larkham (vice-captain), 9 George Gregan (captain), 8 David Lyons, 7 Phil Waugh, 6 Radike Samo, 5 Nathan Sharpe (vice-captain), 4 Justin Harrison, 3 Alastair Baxter, 2 Brendan Cannon, 1 Bill Young.
Replacements: 16 Jeremy Paul, 17 Matt Dunning, 18 Daniel Vickerman, 19 George Smith, 20 Clyde Rathbone, 21 Matt Henjak, 22 Chris Latham.

England: 15 Josh Lewsey, 14 Tom Voyce, 13 Mike Catt, 12 Mike Tindall, 11 Ben Cohen, 10 Charlie Hodgson, 9 Andy Gomarsall, 8 Lawrence Dallaglio (captain), 7 Richard Hill, 6 Joe Worsley, 5 Steve Borthwick, 4 Simon Shaw, 3 Julian White, 2 Mark Regan, 1 Tim Payne.
Replacements: 16 Steve Thompson, 17 Will Green/Mike Worsley, 18 Martin Corry, 19 Michael Lipman, 20 Matt Dawson, 21 Fraser Waters, Ollie Barkley.

Date: Saturday, June 26
Kick-off: 19.00 (09.00 GMT)
Venue: Suncorp Stadium, Brisbane
Conditions: Clear - min 7°C, max 21°C
Referee: Paddy O'Brien (New Zealand)
Touch Judges: Paul Honiss, Lyndon Bray (both New Zealand)
Assessor: Jim Bailey (Wales)
Television match official: Kelvin Deaker