ENGLAND v AUSTRALIA:MARTIN JOHNSON called on England to bring the crowd to its feet in today's Cook Cup showdown with Australia and start rebuilding Fortress Twickenham.
England have won just over 40 per cent of their home internationals - 15 from 35 - since Johnson retired as captain after lifting the World Cup in 2003.
In the build-up to that triumph, England had beaten all-comers on a run of 22 wins at Twickenham dating to the 1999 World Cup.
Johnson will lock horns with the Australians for the first time since lifting the Webb Ellis trophy, now as England's new team manager.
"There is a difference this week and that feeling is in the squad. We are testing ourselves against one of the top three teams in the world," said Johnson.
"Being an English rugby player, people generally want to beat you. There is a lot of history there and people want to win at Twickenham.
"It always gives them an edge - but you have to turn that around. You can be tactically smart but the great thing about rugby is that it is about passion and emotion.
"The players are very aware the pace and level of intensity will increase. We have got to affect the crowd and get them on their feet. We have got to lift them, not the other way around."
Another destructive scrummaging performance from loose-head prop Andrew Sheridan, like those which wrecked the Australian scrum in 2005 and again in last year's World Cup quarter-final, would do just that.
The head-to-head showdown between Sheridan and his opposite number, Wallaby tighthead Al Baxter, has dominated the pre-match build-up.
There are key battles across the field. England's ferocious performance at the breakdown in Marseille will have left George Smith smarting and that presents a major challenge for Tom Rees.
And Danny Cipriani has the opportunity to judge how close he is to world class when he comes up against Matt Giteau.
Replacements
ENGLAND: 16 Dylan Hartley, 17 Matt Stevens, 18 Simon Shaw, 19 James Haskell, 20 Michael Lipman, 21 Harry Ellis, 22 Toby Flood.
AUSTRALIA: 16 Tatafu Polota-Nau, 17 Matt Dunning, 18 Dean Mumm, 19 Wycliff Palu, 20 Sam Cordingley, 21 Quade Cooper, 22 Digby Ioane.
Referee: Marius Jonker (South Africa).
