DC-9 and DC-10 sound like a couple of airliners. There is every chance, too, that Danny Care and his fly-half, Danny Cipriani, can elevate England to a different plane over the next couple of years. Is it possible that two 21-year-olds are about to transform how rugby is regarded in their country? Maybe not but the side derided by Australians not so long ago as "Dad's Army" is rapidly becoming a team of Corporal Pikes.
If you fancy studying one of the pair in detail this afternoon, keep your eyes on Care. The close-cropped Yorkshireman may defer to his half-back partner in one respect - they agreed a deal that the first to play for England had squatter's rights to the DC initials, forcing Care to resort to "DCa" on his tracksuit to avoid confusion - but he is the man the Wallabies need to stifle today. Should Care duck and dive as effectively as he has for Harlequins this season he will give England the momentum they crave around the fringes. Quick ball, a retreating defence ... under such conditions, England's pacemen further out will enjoy a hugely promising launch pad.
Anyone still unsure about the extent of Care's influence should simply consult one of his Quins team-mates, Nick Easter. "He's got the world at his feet at the moment," says the No8. "He's 21 years old and the form player in England. 'Audacious' would be the best word to describe him. You've got to be cocky as a scrum-half but he knows when to rein it in. He's not arrogant at all. He believes in his own ability and why not? He's got all the attributes and I can't really see a weakness in his game."
A pretty similar opinion is discernible in the Australian dressing room. The opposing No9, Luke Burgess, is a bright and fresh talent himself, a possible Wallaby captain in the mould of Nick Farr Jones. Mention Care's name, though, and he recalls every detail of their last meeting. "The IRB Sevens in Edinburgh last year. He scored a chip-and-chase try to beat us. He loves to sink his teeth into a half-chance, so he'll be one to watch." It is fair to say Burgess and his mates will want to keep Care where they can see him.
It all makes a welcome change from the negative headlines of the summer tour to New Zealand when Care was among those scrutinised after a late night out in Auckland. The scrum-half was found not guilty of any misconduct. To quote Judge Jeff Blackett, the Rugby Football Union's disciplinary officer, "he only became involved in this investigation because he popped his head round an unlocked interconnected door" to remind a team-mate, Mike Brown, that it was time to leave for a rehabilitation session. His response this season, with five tries in seven games for Quins, has been everything the England manager, Martin Johnson, could have wished for.
It was Care's tap penalty in his own 22 which instigated England's best moment against the Pacific Islanders last weekend, an 80-metre surge by Ugo Monye which ended in a try for Cipriani, with whom Care first roomed during England Under-16 trials in Wolverhampton five years ago. It is a relationship which appears to be blossoming at senior level.
"We're very excited to be playing with each other," said Care. "Hopefully it can last for a long time, although it will take a while to develop our partnership to the point where we know instinctively what each of us is going to do at different times." Has Cipriani got any irritating qualities? "He likes chirping but that's just him. I'm the one who decides whether he gets the ball or not, so he has to be nice to me."
Rugby was not Care's first love. "I'd always dreamed about playing for England but, if you'd asked me at 13 or 14, it would definitely have been at Wembley with a round ball." A former member of the Sheffield Wednesday academy, he was forced to make a choice at 16 after being told he was too small for professional football. At 5ft 8in and 13st 4lb he is not exactly a hulking figure now but he could give even Theo Walcott a run for his monthly salary. The bank manager's son also has the requisite competitive edge. "Everybody wants to beat his opposite number on the day and get the upper hand," he said. "If 15 of you do it, you should win the game. I'm looking forward to the battle."
No side is ever the poorer for a confident and cheeky No9 with an eye for the gap, a little bit of Yorkshire grit and a desire to play. Like Nigel Melville, one of England's finest scrum-halves, Care played at Otley, in his case prior to joining the Leeds academy. As recently as five years ago he was just another schoolboy, lying on a sofa in his parents' house in Adel watching England play Australia in the 2003 World Cup final.
"I remember my Dad going mental," he said, "shouting at Mike Catt to kick it out." This time he will be out there in person, doing his best to emulate the idol of his schooldays, Matt Dawson. If he poses the Wallabies even half as many problems today as Dawson once did, England will be ready for take-off.
Duel of the day
Danny Care (England) v Luke Burgess (Australia)
Two young scrum-halves with great expectations on their shoulders. Burgess is expected to take up the Wallabies captaincy in the future; for the present containing England's form player will do. A key battle right at the heart of the action.
