Four Nations preview - England V Australia.

The England line up for their match against Australia is as follows.

Shaun Briscoe
Tom Briscoe
Lee Smith
Michael Shenton
Ryan Hall
Danny McGuire
Sam Thomkins
Adrian Morley
James Roby
James Graham
Gareth Ellis
Jamie Peacock
Kevin Sinfield

Sam Burgess
Eorl Crabtree
Kyle Eastmond
Ben Westwood

Compare that to the Australian team that line up as follows;

Billy Slater
Brett Morris
Greg Inglis
Brett Hodges
Jarryd Hayne
Darren Lockyer
Jonathan Thurston
Ben Hannant
Cameron Smith
Petro Civoniceva
Anthony Watmough
Paul Gallen
Nathan Hindmarsh

(From four of the following)
Brett White
David Shillington
Luke Lewis
Robbie Farah
Kurt Gidley
Trent Waterhouse

They say rugby league is a seventeen man game. Now without disrespecting the Australians, their bench doesn't look as threatening as I first feared no matter who is filtered out. But their starting thirteen is more threatening than when they annihilated England in Melbourne last year.

As I said twelve months ago, England's forward pack can beat Australia on top of their game. Its the English back line I fear will let the side down. Tom Briscoe's nerves must be shaking like a Tickle Me Elmo with the thought of facing up to who was considered the NRL's best player, Jarryd Hayne. With 26 first team apperances and 13 tries, its a complete mis-match in terms of experience when you consider Hayne has starred in 109 NRL and representative games scoring 90 tries in total.

Despite his man of the match performance against Wales, I wish Sam Thomkins all the luck in the world when he faces the four time consecutive State of Origin winning half back pairing of Darren Lockyer and Jonathan Thurston. Thomkins will be buoyed by playing on his club's home ground at international level. But he will have to be on top of his game to even have a chance of out smarting Lockyer or Thurston.

Its a worrying thought that England's 52-4 defeat last year may not have been a one off after all.