One game should not define a season, but England know there are exceptions. A big defeat in the second and final Test will confirm the worst fears of those who suspect the coaches are flogging a dead horse. Victory, on the other hand, would allow the management to insist their World Cup plans are gathering momentum. There is hardly any middle ground still available for rent.
Even a gallant loss would underline what the rugby world has come to believe: that England talk a better game than they play in terms of beating the southern hemisphere's finest. Australia are a good side but their scrum issues make them more vulnerable than they might be. If Martin Johnson's squad wish to enjoy their holidays, it is important they erase the memory of their diffident display in Perth.
Precisely that message will be repeated before kick-off by coaches and senior players alike. "We've got a chance to put the record straight," said Nick Easter, the England No8 who, by his own admission, fell below the required standard last week. "You want to have a summer when you can look back and be pleased with your last performance, otherwise you'll be stewing. We've got to go out and show a lot more than we did last Saturday."
Johnson has also reminded everyone that places in England's 32-man elite squad to be named next month remain unbooked, well aware that Wednesday's game against New Zealand Maoris in Napier is unlikely to supply much solace. A potential tour record of one scratchy win from five games will not rank as a great leap forward. "Some of the guys won't get a chance to play in a Testmatch in Australia again," he said. Barring a marked upturn, several are unlikely to be tackling the Wallabies at Twickenham this November either.
At least the cheery mood during training at North Sydney Oval was encouraging. Maybe the sunshine helped, but the squad contains enough talent and enthusiasm to hint at better days ahead if the players can escape their underachieving rut. Ben Youngs has the ability to match his contemporary Will Genia as a backline catalyst and his first Test start will be instructive. If the Leicester scrum-half shines, it may even persuade Johnson to start thinking like an Australian and blood the likes of Alex Goode on the enlightened basis that class is permanent and immaturity is temporary.
It would help if the French referee Romain Poite takes a sadistic interest in the scrum engagements, as he surely will. At times last week England's tight-head Dan Cole unquestionably used illegal tactics to destabilise his opponent Ben Daley, but he is good enough to make life difficult without resorting to the dark arts. Tim Payne, even so, has cautioned against assuming the Wallabies scrum will be minced again. "Without a shadow of a doubt, they'll be better," the loose-head said. "I'm sure they'll have hit the scrum machine many times this week."
Either way, England crave a collective performance that is not entirely down to their scrummagers or the slowly fading veterans of the 2003 World Cup final triumph in the same arena.
Australia remains mystified at Jonny Wilkinson's non-selection, with the former Wallabies centre Tim Horan declaring it "a decision Martin Johnson is likely to regret". The hosts should clinch a 2-0 win but the ghost in the white No10 jersey has yet to be exorcised Down Under. If Wilkinson rises off the bench and slots another winning drop goal the groans will be audible from Canberra to Cape Tribulation.
Sky Sports 1: kick-off 11am
