This is a major occasion for English rugby league, as the sport is played on a stage and to an audience well outside the usual heartlands.
"There can surely be no greater sporting rivalry on the planet than England versus Australia, whatever the sport," Rugby Football League executive director Nigel Wood writes in today's matchday programme.
"To be doing so here at Wembley, one of the most famous sporting venues in the world, can only add resonance, aura and gravitas to the occasion."
There is a fair bit of nervous energy as this contest is only five minutes in. Both teams are like heavyweight boxers in the first rounds. I'm looking forward to this game opening up in the deeper rounds.