Adam Higgins says any meeting between England and Australia is a ferocious battle between the sides - from his own personal experience.
The 2003 Rugby World Cup final saw Red Rose skipper Martin Johnson lift the trophy for his country’s first time after Jonny Wilkinson’s famous drop goal.
With the Wallabies taking on Eddie Jones’ men about the same time as Bournemouth host Ivybridge at Chapel Gate, Higgins says it was a big moment for him.
He said: “Funnily enough the 2003 rugby World Cup final when England beat Australia was actually the game that got me into rugby union, because I started quite late.
“So it will be interesting but the Australians don’t actually talk about 2003 much and it’s funny because I was actually over there for when we had the autumn tests about two years ago.
“They obviously still had a bit of spite about them about the fact we beat them back in 2003 - but it is all laughs and jokes now because it is 15 years ago now.”
Higgins says rugby league tends to be more popular than rugby union down under, with Higgins tasting life in Queensland for two seasons in 2016.
The equivalent to the Queensland Premier League over here is probably National One or Two in Higgins’ opinion, with a number of Queensland Reds’ players contracted to sides in the division - including at one stage Wallabies’ star Quade Cooper.
Another man in the Australia team Higgins identifies as the key to success is breakdown specialist David Pocock who will pack down in the backrow against Australian Jones and his men.
Higgins added: “Everyone knows how dangerous David Pocock is, especially over the ball, and in terms of turnovers so it is only going to be in our favour with him missing. But it is still going to be an interesting game - England v Australia is always one of those games which could go either way.”