Australia - star players

MATTHEW BURKE
full back
A class act is Burke and he has seen off the challenge of Chris Latham atfull back after a stellar career was interrupted by injury last year. Hehas pace and vision, especially on the counter-attack and Australia havecome to rely on his radar-like kicking skills which brought him 25 pointsin the World Cup Final win over France while last time at Twickenham hescored all 19 Wallaby points.

GEORGE GREGAN
scrum half
Mr Consistency. 'Guv' has missed only six Tests in five seasons for theWallabies, the majority of them last Autumn when he was ruled out of theEuropean tour by a knee operation. He makes the Aussies tick and the ACTBrumbies skipper was the obvious candidate to succeed John Eales ascaptain. A resourceful and combative scrum half who likes to snipe aroundthe edges but also has good hands and a good pass which gives his half backpartner Stephen Larkham time to weave his magic.

STEPHEN LARKHAM
fly half
Some argue All Black Andrew Mehrtens is the best playmaker, others JonnyWilkinson, but there are plenty of votes for Larkham whose deceptivelylanguid running style has unhinged the best defences. The Super 12 teams,Lions and Tri-Nations rivals have targeted him mercilessly this year butdespite being battered, Larkham has still found time and space to spark thedangerous runners outside him.

JUSTIN HARRISON
lock
You can't miss him - he's 6ft 9ins in a scrum cap and looks as if theWallabies have called him up from some bush station. And who can forget hisrunning battle with Austin Healey during the Lions tour? The Leicester Lipversus the Australian Ape, as Healey infamously called him. Butappearances can be deceptive. Harrison did start life up country but is amarine biologist who took up rugby at university and believe it or not athoughtful, intelligent guy off the pitch. Made a sensational debut bydominating the Lions line-out in the deciding Test, now he has to do it ona permanent basis.

England play Australia at Twickenham on Saturday, November 10, 2001.

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