Australia v England - 26/6/04 -Bundaberg Rum Rugby Series

England Rugby World Cup Champions will take on the Qantas Wallabies this Saturday at the Suncorp Stadium Brisbane, seven months on to the day of that historic Final.

England Head Coach Clive Woodward has named his side to play Australia in Brisbane on Saturday 26th June.  Mike Catt of Bath returns at centre and Tim Payne of London Wasps makes his debut for England at loose head prop in a starting XV that otherwise is unchanged from the second test against the All Blacks last week.  Payne replaces Trevor Woodman who failed to fully recover from an injury to his right shoulder.

In the Rugby World Cup final we had occasion to celebrate and also get hot under the collar with the referee - that time it was scrums!  Last week it was the use of the Red card for which by many was a bit harsh.  However, England like any other team must play to the Referee, they know before they run out onto the field what the Referee will be looking at and not wanting to see.  International teams nowadays have to be 'fieldwise' as opposed to 'streetwise'.

In the game of Rugby Union as fans we all are united in the one cause, that is good fair rugby.  Of course we get flare ups but it is after all a contact sport and very physical, that is part of the attraction for many a fan and player.  England must learn to cope at this higher level and not lose the discipline they have built up over the last few years.

The England team and management will not want to come away from the Southern Hemisphere with nothing, which is why I think we might just pull off a win against the Qantas Wallabies.   Referee: Paddy O'Brien to my mind is a good and fair referee, so hopefully we will not have a repeat of last weekend's officialdom.

England have suffered injuries and in my view many of the Rugby World Cup players should have been left at home.  I do not wish to see the team lose but what better way to put a backbone of steel into these youngsters emerging.  Remember the Tour from Hell, that galvanised Jonny Wilkinson to vow he would not want to live through that experience again.  Just a thought!!

Commenting on Payne’s selection Woodward said “I’d like to congratulate Tim for earning his first cap.  He has had a tremendous season with Wasps and this is a huge opportunity for him now. I have every confidence he will step up to the mark on Saturday. In many ways he will feel in very familiar surroundings as he will play alongside fellow Wasps players Lawrence Dallaglio, Joe Worsley and Simon Shaw. Sadly for Trevor, his injury persisted but Tim now has this exciting chance.” 

As for the Qantas Wallabies, well they want a piece of England so badly, you can almost feel their hooves churning in the dust!  Well bring it on I say but one thing I do know regardless of the outcome. 

England Rugby World Cup Champions 2003 - Nothing can take that away, they can huff and they can puff but they won't bring England's house down!

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: Steve Thompson, Will Green or Mike Worsley, Martin Corry, Michael Lipman, Matt Dawson, Fraser Waters, Olly Barkley.

So it just leaves me now to evoke the charge of St. George and my usual cry...............

And you, good yeoman,
Whose limbs were made in England, show us here
The mettle of your pasture; let us swear
That you are worth your breeding; which I doubt not;
For there is none of you so mean and base,
That hath not noble lustre in your eyes.
I see you stand like greyhounds in the slips,
Straining upon the start. The game's afoot:
Follow your spirit, and upon this charge
Cry 'God for Harry, England, and Saint George!'

Henry V (1599) Act3, Scene1

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