Twickenham will be waiting this afternoon, if not for Godot then to see whether England or Australia, or both, turn up.

Two of the powers of world rugby are undergoing repairs aimed, in the longer term, to place them at the sharp end of the 2011 World Cup, but, for both, victory on the opening day of the Investec Challenge Series is a must.

England have no fond memories of this time last year, the first autumn under Martin Johnson’s stewardship when all three games against the Sanzar unions were lost, two by embarrassing margins. For all the injuries that have haunted them this season, they are equipped to beat an Australia side in a similar condition but playing away from home and with their marketing people anxious to see them return home with a grand slam.

This has not been discussed by the players, many of them youngsters with their way to make; they will know about their prospects of a slam this evening, when Wales have played New Zealand in Cardiff, but for now it is the last thing on their minds.

Twickenham also awaits Jonny Wilkinson. The England fly half has not been seen there since last year and the aura of expectation that surrounds the World Cup winner of 2003 is beyond belief. “Jonny brings what he brings, everyone has seen what he’s done in his decade with England,” Johnson, the team manager, said. “Experienced players bring that air of certainty, that consistency of performance, but so does Steve Thompson, so does Lewis Moody.”

During a late-night conversation in a Cape Town bar in June, one of the Lions’ backroom staff was prepared to bet a decent sum that Wilkinson would not only return from France a character reborn, but that he would go on to the most productive phase of his career up to and including the next World Cup.

How Johnson, how England, must wish this will be so. But the point that Johnson was trying to emphasise is that this is not only about Wilkinson but about Shane Geraghty and Danny Care on either side of him, about Ugo Monye turning his hand to full back successfully, about a pack that can not only go toe to toe with the most improved set of forwards in the southern hemisphere but can find some small advantage.

“If our first phase works well, it gives guys the opportunity to get over the gain line and produce quick ball,” Johnson said. “If we get two or three phases of quick ball, we will look good — so will Australia if they can manage it. That’s the game. Australia are building a dangerous, young team. They get battle-hardened very quickly playing so often against the best teams in the world.”

The sight of Wilkinson in white, kicking at goal, calling the shots, will lift confidence levels for England, only four of whom started this Cook Cup match a year ago when the prospect of victory slipped away in the final quarter on a river of indiscipline. Matt Giteau kicked six penalty goals and Stirling Mortlock one in a 28-14 win that featured eight of today’s starting XV, a comforting number to have experienced success at Twickenham.

But the unknown quantity here is control of the breakdown. This is the area that has proved so problematical in the Guinness Premiership and where George Smith has been so utterly influential for Australia.

It is no surprise that he is preferred here to the young pup of an open-side, David Pocock, but England expect to see Smith shift to No 8 and Pocock emerge early in the second half.

The Wallabies, with so little rugby in recent times, should be at a disadvantage; England, by contrast, have players in form, admittedly in a lacklustre Premiership, and eager to make their mark.

If they do, then suddenly there is a warm autumnal glow. If they do not — and Australia are the bookmakers’ favourites — the fixtures against Argentina and New Zealand become that much more difficult to negotiate.

England v Australia
England: 15 U Monye; 14 M Cueto, 13 D Hipkiss; 12 S Geraghty 11 M Banahan; 10 J Wilkinson, 9 D Care; 1 T Payne; 2 S Thompson, 3 D Wilson 4, L Deacon, 5 S Borthwick (capt), 6 T Croft, 7 L Moody, 8 J Crane. Replacements: 16 D Hartley, 17 D Bell, 18 C Lawes, 19 J Haskell, 20 P Hodgson, 21 A Goode, 22 A Erinle.
Australia: 15 A Ashley-Cooper; 14 P Hynes, 13 D Ioane, 12 Q Cooper, 11 D Mitchell; 10 M Giteau, 9 W Genia; 1 B Robinson, 2 S Moore, 3 B Alexander, 4 J Horwill, 5 M Chisholm, 6 R Elsom (capt), 7 G Smith, 8 W Palu. Replacements: 16 T Polota-Nau, 17 M Dunning, 18 D Mumm, 19 D Pocock, 20 L Burgess, 21 R Cross, 22 J O’Connor.
Venue Twickenham.
TV Sky Sports 2, 2.30pm.
Referee B Lawrence (New Zealand)