Peacock eyes back-to-back wins

Skipper Jamie Peacock insists England have their sights set on topping the 'super pool' and earning the easier route to the World Cup final.

To do that they will almost certainly have to beat Australia and New Zealand on successive weekends, something they have not achieved since the 2004 Tri-Nations in England.

Three of the four teams in Pool A will go through to the last four, with the table-toppers meeting the winners of the semi-final qualifier.

On current form, that looks likely to be either Samoa or Fiji.

"If we can win, we've got a chance of finishing top of the group and ensuring an easier passage into the final," said Peacock.

"It's a massive incentive but we want to play well as well. We've not played Australia for a couple of years - not since the Suncorp in Brisbane - and I'm sure we've improved as a nation since then."

While Australia cruised to a 30-6 win in their opening game against the Kiwis, Peacock accepts his side need to find a major improvement from their unconvincing 32-22 victory over minnows Papua New Guinea.

Improve

"You get better as the tournament goes on," Peacock said. "We've worked very hard in training to improve the areas we needed to improve on.

"You go into every game believing you can win - that belief is there amongst our players. We know, if we perform well, we can beat Australia.

"You're not going to go into a game against Australia and play poorly and win - that just doesn't happen. We need to be on the top of our game and everyone needs to play well in the 17-man squad.

"We're looking forward to it. We've trained well this week and we've rectified some of the problems we had against Papua New Guinea."

Australia coach Ricky Stuart raised the temperature ahead of the eagerly-awaited clash by suggesting England will adopt a confrontational style of play and predicting a fiery opening.

Peacock admits the strength of his side lies in the pack where the likes of Adrian Morley, Gareth Ellis, James Graham and the skipper himself would currently make a World XIII, but he insists England can adapt to any style of play that is necessary to win the match.

Confrontation

"He's probably seen the players we've got in our team and realised that some of them enjoy confrontation," said the Leeds prop.

"That's the way we like to play the game and he's probably recognised that, being the good coach that he is.

"We've got great halves and great outside backs but we're lucky in this country that we've got forwards who can grace the international stage quite easily.

"They've got a great front row - the Queensland-winning front row will start - and some young guys in the back row who have played well this year.

"It will be a tough and physical opening to the game but I'm not sure how feisty it will be.

"But, if it is fiery, that's fair enough, it will suit us down to the ground; if it's not, it suits us down to the ground too."