Larkham's World Cup torment

Steve Larkham has revealed he is still haunted by Australia's World Cup final defeat.

The two old enemies will come face-to-face on Sunday for the first clash between the sides at the Telstra Stadium since that final when Sir Clive Woodward's England were dramatically crowned world champions.

Jonny Wilkinson's last-gasp drop-goal was the pivotal final act and Larkham admits it is a moment he will most probably never come to terms with.

"I still haven't watched the tape," he told the Sun-Herald newspaper. "It does hurt too much, and it is a loss that is still in my mind. I don't think any of us have got over it.

"I haven't seen the game, and I know a lot of the other guys who played that night still haven't seen it either. I suppose we will all watch it at some stage, but I don't really know if I want to.

"Wilkinson set himself pretty early for a field goal. We all knew it was going to be a field goal, we knew it was coming. I was defending right next to the ruck.

"Two rucks before, the half-back - I think it was (Matt) Dawson - had scooted past the bloke who was defending there because we were all so worried about the field goal.

"I was in that position this time. I couldn't really chase Jonny Wilkinson because the gap would open up for Dawson again, and that was frustrating - the fact I knew what was going to happen, but I couldn't do anything about it.

"He kicked it, and there was just this helplessness."

Larkham and his Australia team-mates are red-hot favourites to exact another measure of revenge in the forthcoming two-Test series having already beaten England 51-15 when the two sides last met Down Under in Brisbane two years ago.

However, he insists that World Cup defeat will never be erased from his memory and is likely to prove impossible to avenge.

"We might win games against England during the next 16 months leading up to the 2007 World Cup, and we've beaten them since the last World Cup, but it still doesn't change the result from that night," he continued. "I suppose nothing can."

Meanwhile, England coach Andy Robinson has told his World Cup hopefuls that they have "a fantastic opportunity" to stake a claim for a regular berth in the games with Australia.

Robinson has rested many of his big names leading many to predict they will be roundly beaten in both Sydney and Melbourne, but remains optimistic that his squad can make their mark.

"We are looking forward, not back," Robinson said. "The key message is that we've got 16 games now in 16 months to the next World Cup, and each player involved next Sunday has a fantastic opportunity to put their hand up for that.

"They need to show that ruthlessness we need to take the chance.

"If we play like we did last weekend in the Barbarians game for the first 20 minutes, and make the same number of mistakes against Australia, they would be 20 points up. Mistakes will happen - it's about how you react to that.

"One thing that concerns me is their kicking game. They used it once in the World Cup final and scored, and I expect them to kick for the corners and to kick for the wings."