World Cup finalists England still feel short of best

Collins said England will need to repeat their dominant performance against Australia, and more, to beat the only other nation ever to win the world title.

"We've got to do what we did today, stick to the process Tom [Coyd, the England coach] has put in front of us," he said. "It looks like a good game, but there is still plenty to do.

"We are used to big games, league titles and Challenge Cups. This is a step up from that, so we go again."

Like many of the squad, Collins has had to overcome huge off-field challenges to get in a position to face the major challenges on the pitch.