Australian Kangaroos Head Coach, Tim Sheens has named his side which will take on England in the first match ofthe 2013 Rugby League World Cup.

Robbie Farah has beaten Daly Cherry-Evans for the utility bench spot, meanwhile Andrew Fifita will make his debut in the green and gold.

Match Details:
Australian Kangaroos vs. England
MILLENNIUM STADIUM, CARDIFF
Saturday, 26th October 2013
Kick off: 12:30am AEDT (Sunday, 27th October)

[i1. Billy Slater

2. Brett Morris

3. Brent Tate

4. Greg Inglis

5. Darius Boyd

6. Johnathan Thurston

7. Cooper Cronk

8. Matt Scott

9. Cameron Smith ©

10. James Tamou

11. Greg Bird

12. Sam Thaiday

13. Paul Gallen (vc)

[/i
Interchange:

[i14. Robbie Farah

15. Andrew Fifita

16. Luke Lewis

17. Corey Parker[/i

Surprise selections:

Brent Tate is in the centres, ahead of Michael Jennings.

10 Queenslanders and 7 New South Welshman in the 17.

Would have liked to have seen Jennings at centre, but his omission just highlights the Australian depth.

Australia by 26+

Horrible feeling this could happen, and in front of a huge audience as well, deflating the whole tournament

I actually see a positive from this....it gives the team a reason to hammer the other 3 in the group, dismantle someone else in the QF and hit the Kiwis at speed in the semi.........if they are going to have a horror, then do it in the first game so they work their buts off to get a second chance.....whilst the Okers will cruise to the final.
If England can beat the Kiwis in the semi.......I can see another massive upset in a RLWC final.

I always believe we can beat the aussies. I'll never stop thinking like that.

and 2 Mossies.

Errr, yes.
That's rather a strong looking outfit.
Depends how much they wanna put their [ifoot on the gas[/i in the opener as to the margin of victory.

At least the forwards look soft

England are not going to have a nice afternoon against that side

In recent years they have relied on lockyer to make the plays, this year the have to play makers all over the park, this isn't always a good thing, but I still can't see passed as v nz final. England need to really kick out the old idea of once in the England team always in and go with former.

22 - 8 to the ockers.

If Australia play seriously it'll go one of two ways IMO - very tight or 60+ victory to Australia.

Can we have Jennings and Cherry-Evans then?

I like your thinking.
It's only fair.

i believe only one player out of that 17 actually played in the semi finals...not bad for a team of mid table aussies

If they gave us Cherry-Evans i still believe Mac would select Sinfield and Chase in the halves.

I have been watching Australian teams come to these shores since 1986, I am sure many posters have seen more than me. If I were to look at this team and then think which players would make a 17 made up of the best Aussies I have seen only three of them would come close

Billy Slater is probably the best Australian full back I have seen but he prone to real calamitous errors

Cam Smith is the best hooker I have seen play for Australia

Greg Inglis is a fantastic player and would probably get into a Dunbar best ever Australian 17… although centre would be hugely competitive with the likes of Meninga and Miles to name just two

Of the rest, I can honestly say that they wouldn’t get near a best 17

Yes, Thurston is good but not when he is next to Lewis, Kenny or Lockyer

Cronk is good but he is no Andrew Johns

The wingers are solid but remember when we used to see Sailor, Tuqiri (at his best) and Folau named on the wings – now those were scary names

I could go on but the bottom line is that team is very beatable. I hope that the English team see it even if the fans don’t

Yes, but Australia probably will only be beaten by New Zealand.

As for Thurston he is probably one of the five best players in the world today, along wth Inglis, Smith, Slater ad SBW.

Is Jennings injured then?
And is Brent Tate really the third best aussie centre available? For all the flair on show in the NRL he seems decidedly average.

We need to stop this professionalism stuff that's in evidence in SL and start a fight in the first 5 minutes. Send one of the Burgii to tvvat Thurston straight away, then the whole pack goes in.
The Aussies are superb, but just like the Germans, they don't like it up em.

As great as the Aussies are, that team isn’t unbeatable. Of course they are favourites but there are weaknesses.

You swap the name of that team for England and we would be seeing people complaining that we have a full back on the wing, and a fullback in the centre being played out of position. That we have an out and out 13 playing in the 2nd row to fit in a prop playing at 13. That Luke Lewis is a jack of all trades master of none.

Thanks for that... not really anything to do with my post but thanks anyway

Im not sure id quite go along with that but every Australian high tackle, every bit of foul play needs the forwards in and about, pushing and shoving. If an ocker swings a punch, two or three swinging back at him straight away. If you are grabbed round the neck, he is punched in the head before has time to think. If they are laying on and slowing the tackle, throw them off, get in their face and get them worrying, get them thinking.