England's bid to join the all-time greats will have to wait until next year's World Cup but they are poised to end 2002 as the top-ranked team in international rugby if they can secure a convincing win over South Africa at Twickenham tomorrow.
Apart from a brief spell last season when they became the first European side to sit astride the Zurich World Rankings, England have never been rated ahead of their rivals from the southern hemisphere. Their run of 10 wins in the last 11 Tests, however, has hoisted them back within touching distance of the summit if results go their way this weekend.
The computer is predicting that Clive Woodward's side will beat the Springboks by 16 points, with their closest rivals New Zealand tipped to win by a margin of 33 points against Wales. Woodward, though, will be more interested in yesterday's comments by the Wallabies' coach Eddie Jones who is worried Australia do not possess as much fresh young talent as England.
Jones is calling for the Australian Rugby Union to form a national youth academy, suggesting the rest of the world has now caught up with his ageing Wallaby squad.
"We got a jump in the early years of Super 12 and Tri Nations and it has now evened out, because they are running better programmes in the northern hemisphere," said Jones. "At the moment to unearth new talent we have to go outside the Super 12 structure because there is not an abundance of players under 25 in Australian provincial teams.
"More new talent has to come into the Super 12 sides, because we have some ageing teams and we have to put more pressure on established Test players. In England and France young players get opportunities, because with more teams and clubs there are more spots open. On the bench for England last weekend was a 20-year-old prop Robbie Morris, while France are regularly showing off new, young players who are up to the mark."
The Springboks, meanwhile, have abandoned hope of their 23-year-old reserve centre Marius Joubert sitting on the replacements' bench at Twickenham after he failed to recover from the shoulder injury he sustained against France. Joubert is flying home, leaving Adrian Jacobs as the only specialist centre should anything befall the Test midfield of Butch James and Robbie Fleck.
Australia (v Italy): Mortlock; Sailor, Burke, Herbert, Staniforth; Flatley, Gregan (capt); Young, Freier, Noriega, Vickerman, Harrison, Cockbain, Smith, Kefu.
Replacements: Cannon, Darwin, Giffin, Croft, Whitaker, Giteau, Bartholomeusz.
Italy: Mirco Bergamasco; Vaccari, Stoica, Barbini, Sacca; Pez, Queirolo; Lo Cicero, Ongaro, Castrogiovanni, Pavanello, Bortolami, Persico, Mauro Bergamasco, Parisse. Replacements: Moretti, Faliva, Palmer, Giacheri, Troncon, Zanoletti, Peens.
Argentina (v Ireland): Corleto; Camardon, Orengo, Arbizu, Albanese; Contepomi, Pichot; Reggiardo, Ledesma, Hasan, Fernandez Lobbe, Alvarez, Phelan, Martin, Longo. Replacements: Villaz, Scelzo, Sporleder, Durand, N Fernandez Miranda, J Fernandez Miranda, Nunez Piossek.
