Larkham was in pain for several days before he realised with relief that he could lift his arm above his head, so confirming that he had not severed a nerve, which would have ended his year there and then. "I was a little bit disappointed not to play in the first Tri-Nations game after that," he said with typical understatement, "but it's certainly better than having nine months out of the game."Last week the Wallabies, perhaps mindful of the foul weather which has accompanied their previous two Twickenham excursions, elected to grab a bit of sun in Spain, hammering the locals 92-10 along the way in a warm-up Test. That, combined with an opening loosener against the English National Divisions at Leicester, and a visit to Oxford University today, have made for unusual preparation for a match against the Six Nations champions.Perhaps, with Jones espousing a more attacking game than that favoured by Macqueen, the Wallabies are keeping some fresh ideas under their corked hats. "It's not just Eddie, all the players have been pushing for more in attack," said Larkham. "We'd moved away from an attacking game, and I think there are a few players in the squad who would prefer to play that sort of rugby We have found it a little difficult in recent games. Defences have improved over the last couple of years since we won the World Cup But you have got to be careful when you attack. You can't just spin the ball wide and hope to make a break."Larkham made his Test debut in 1996, having been a reserve scrum-half at club level only a year previously, and was at full-back against England at Twickenham in 1997.

A stand-your-ground block on Mike Catt showed his resolve in preventing a possible English try, and the match was drawn.It was Macqueen who ushered Larkham into the Wallaby No 10 jersey, initially in the 76-0 pummelling of the Poms – next week's opposite number Jonny Wilkinson included – on the infamous 1998 Tour from Hell."I'm still learning the position," Larkham said. "You'll sometimes find me loitering at full-back because I'm too lazy to get up in the line." On a more serious note, he added: "I watched last year's game on TV at home in Canberra. I know a lot of the boys who played feel they were hard done by with the sin-binning towards the end. They're still hurting from that decision." England will beware the wounded Wallabies..

Roland Reid does not consider himself to be stuck in a difficult position. "Not at all," he insisted on Thursday lunchtime, having discovered he would be switching from No 11 to No 6 for the Iestyn Harris Roadshow, otherwise known as the Heineken Cup match between Glasgow and Cardiff, at Hughenden this afternoon "Last weekend I was a left-winger This weekend I'm a blind-side flanker. Roland Reid does not consider himself to be stuck in a difficult position. "Not at all," he insisted on Thursday lunchtime, having discovered he would be switching from No 11 to No 6 for the Iestyn Harris Roadshow, otherwise known as the Heineken Cup match between Glasgow and Cardiff, at Hughenden this afternoon "Last weekend I was a left-winger.