It has been so wet in Sydney this week that England have already been forced to abandon one waterlogged training venue ahead of Sunday's first Test against Australia. Monday was also the chilliest June day locally for 11 years but England's ambitious plans for a brighter, bolder future show no sign of fading.
In fact, if the defence coach Mike Ford's comments yesterday are any guide, the upcoming two Tests against the Wallabies may prove the most significant England have played since the 2003 World Cup.
In addition to seeking a sharper attacking edge, Ford has revealed that the tourists will also be trialling a completely revamped defensive system in a bid to catch Australia cold regardless of the inclement weather.
Ford, who succeeded Phil Larder less than a fortnight ago, is promising "a more aggressive" brand of defence than England supporters have seen recently, with less reliance on the traditional "drift" system, which has permitted sides such as Australia precious space and time to weave their own backline pattern.
Instead England will rush up on their opposite numbers more frequently, as Wasps have done so successfully in recent seasons. "I think the players are ready for something new," said Ford, admitting glitches were inevitable in the early weeks of England's brave new world.
"We're going to get busted, we're not going to get it right in the first game. It's high risk but it's a risk we're prepared to take.
"Rain or shine, the Wallabies will be the first side to discover the freedom they enjoyed on tour in Europe last autumn has disappeared.
"All the home nations defended in the same way against them, not once did the opposition put them under pressure," stressed Ford, hinting the tourists now view Australia's veteran captain and scrum-half George Gregan as a diminishing force.
"Gregan is an 'east-west' player these days as opposed to a 'north-south' one. He doesn't cause so many problems so you can afford to relax a little bit in that area and get off your line."
Allied to Brian Ashton's attacking work, it is clearer than ever that England are nursing grand designs. Their starting line-up will lack 13 of the starting XV from the 21-16 win over Australia at Twickenham in November but, for the likes of Lewis Moody and Mike Catt, there is already a sense of déjà vu. Sydney was equally damp during the closing stages of the 2003 World Cup and England are also based in the same Manly hotel. Yesterday, looking out at a grey, uninviting Pacific Ocean, it could have been Skegness in October.
This particular England squad, though, are determined not to be distracted by matters beyond their control. The vast majority were not involved in the World Cup triumph and, with England Saxons beaten by Scotland A at the Churchill Cup and the prop Matt Stevens nudged into second place by Lucy Benjamin in Celebrity X-Factor, any kind of collective English success would be timely.
The hard-fought win over Italy in Rome in February is England's only away win in nine attempts since the spring of 2004 and the Wallabies, whose new coach John Connolly names his first side tomorrow, are keen to extend that record.
