The biggest attendance ever at Melbourne's Telstra Dome was for a WWF wrestling extravaganza, but Wendell Sailor has promised the bumper crowd expected for tomorrow's Cook Cup Test a very different 'clash of the titans'.

The former rugby league superstar will be up against blockbusting winger Ben Cohen when Australia take on England and has scores to settle with a man he rates as the complete, modern-day winger.

In the green and gold corner Sailor will weigh in at 106kg, just a touch more than 24-year-old Cohen whose form since the 2001 Lions tour has been an inspiration to the Australian.

''Ben Cohen is big, strong, his work-rate is high and there are not too many things he can't do,'' said Sailor.

''He is a player I have watched closely over the last 12 to 24 months and I have tried to model my game so much on him.

''He gets involved and helps the forwards out if they need him. He is a new age winger.

''He won't give me an inch and I'll try not to give him an inch. I am looking forward to it.

''You talk about wingers, he and Doug Howlett are the blokes up there with Jason Robinson as the best in the world.'' As he proved against the All Blacks and Wallabies in November, Cohen is a powerful runner and lethal finisher, scoring 20 tries in 26 Tests for England.

He and Robinson are a pairing coach Clive Woodward would not swap for any wingers in world rugby.

The last time Sailor and Cohen faced off, in that nail-biting encounter at Twickenham, the Northampton man edged the heavyweight battle, but only after Sailor had scored his maiden Test try.

''I was happy,'' he said. ''But then Ben Cohen scored two. I'd like to square it up this weekend.''

It was a mixed day for Sailor after his all-round game prompted a raft of criticism from an Australian media frustrated by the 32-31 defeat a week after the Wallabies had succumbed to Ireland in a bog at Lansdowne Road.

Lacking the instinct to pick the right lines, in attack and defence, and without the tactical nous of a union three-quarter, Sailor had struggled under the weight of expectation following his big-money transfer from the Brisbane Broncos.

He even admitted to doubting last year whether he would ever make that breakthrough, particularly when he was dropped for the 2002 Tri-Nations after winning his first caps in the victories over France.

But Sailor heeded advice from Australia coach Eddie Jones and encouragement from England's Jason Robinson, knuckled down and there is no longer any dispute in Australia over his selection.

He scored twice against Wales last week, including one 90 metre effort, and Sailor will enter the biggest Test of his union career brimming with confidence.

''Playing England at Twickenham was great, but this is why you play,'' he said with a smile.

''I was talking to Toutai Kefu after last weekend's game about playing (against New Zealand) in a Bledisloe Cup match, which I haven't been involved in.

''He said: 'Mate, it won't be much bigger than this weekend'. It's like an Origin game.

''As a player, that's why you live to play, I am very excited about it.

"England are very confident, they have just beaten the All Blacks and are probably the best side in the world."

''It doesn't get any better than playing against Jason Robinson and Ben Cohen. They are world class wings.

''Jason is the best I have played against. People know what he is going to do, but he is still so unpredictable. You think he will go left and he goes right.

''The first time he played the Wallabies (for the Lions in 2001) he made about five line breaks and whenever I played against him in league he was always one of the best two players on the field.

"I watched his transition very closely. He is world class in league and union.

"He is a true gentleman and a true competitor.''