Lol - Thompson could be key

Thompson: starting at Twickenham

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Lawrence Dallaglio feels that Steve Thompson's experience of beating Australia could prove vital to England's chances of overcoming the Wallabies at Twickenham on Saturday.

The 31-year-old hooker will cap off a remarkable comeback this weekend when he lines up for Martin Johnson's team in what will be his first international start for three years.

Thompson's career looked to be over in 2007 when he announced his retirement from the game after sustaining a serious neck injury.

But having joined French club Brive, initially as a club ambassador-cum-coach, he regained fitness and form and earned a recall to the international fold.

He will earn his 49th England cap on Saturday and Dallaglio - who played alongside him in England's 2003 World Cup win over Australia - believes Thompson will have a big part to play at Twickenham.

"He's one of the few players in the side that has beaten Australia," explained Dallaglio. "Not just once, but on a regular basis and he'll bring great leadership quality as well.

"The best thing is that he knows what it takes to get to the top of the world.

"Through no fault of their own, there's not a lot of players in that England squad who know or have ever breathed the rarefied air of being the best team in the world and he can sit down and explain to any of those players what it takes from a fitness point of view, what it takes mentally and physically to get there.

"He can tell them all the things they want to know because he worked very hard to get there so I think that's a really good selection and I'm glad he's in the squad.

"What he has shown is a great resilience. I think he was told by one or two people that he shouldn't be playing but he has come back and he has been playing great in the French league, which must have been tough for him."