News in Picture

For England to beat Australia in their Four Nations encounter this weekend they have to have the perfect day and create the perfect storm.

England need to play better than they have for years and they will be doing it with a young, experimental team.

There is a lot of planning for the future going on and coach Tony Smith is trying to start building a team for the 2013 World Cup.

He has picked an exciting mixture of talent like the selection of 20-year-old scrum-half Sam Tomkins.

It's a big stage for the Wigan youngster, but he will be in front of his home crowd and one positive is that the Aussies will not know a great deal about him.

If they do lose, the young players should not let it knock their confidence and whatever they do on Saturday, it can be improved upon.

If England can score early, do unpredictable things, rattle the Aussies and get them doubting themselves - then who knows what could happen?

They are a really tough side to beat, but we know it is not impossible as New Zealand proved in the World Cup final. The Kiwis managed to draw with them last week so their aura of invincibility slipped a little further.

But in Darren Lockyer they have a true legend of the game in their ranks.

I'm so excited about seeing him play, he is the all-round package and he is such a nice guy as well.

The way the tournament is poised, if England win they are in the final. Of course that is easier said than done, but that is what they have to do.

And whatever the outcome of Saturday's game they have another chance against New Zealand next week.

If I had to predict the outcome, if England lose by fewer than 10 points they will have done very well.

Enjoy your weekend,

Clare

Clare Balding presents coverage of England v Australia on Saturday on BBC One.

Clare was talking to Paul Birch

England v Australia (1410-1630, BBC One/BBC Radio 5 live sports extra/online)

England v Australia and France v New Zealand highlights (2245-2330, BBC Two).

Football Focus (1215, BBC One/online); Premier League commentaries (1245, 1500 & 1730, BBC radio 5 Live/online); Final Score (1430, BBC Red Button/online; 1630, BBC One/online); Championship commentary (1500, BBC Radio 5 live sports extra/online); Match of the Day Live: Derby v QPR (1715, BBC Two/online); Match of the Day (2215, BBC One/online); The Football League Show (2330, BBC One/online).

Match of the Day repeat (0800, BBC One/online); Premier League commentaries (1400 & 1615, BBC Radio 5 live/online); Match of the Day 2 (2200, BBC Two/online).

Abu Dhabi Grand Prix: Third practice (0955-1105, BBC Red Button/online & BBC Radio 5 Live sports extra/online); Qualifying (1210-1410, BBC One/BBC Red Button/online/Radio 5 Live); Qualifying re-run (1435, BBC Red Button).

Abu Dhabi Grand Prix: Race (1210-1515, BBC One/BBC Red Button/online/Radio 5 Live); Interactive forum: 1510-1610, BBC Red Button/online); Highlights (1900-2000 and 0305-0405, BBC Three/online); Race re-run (1610, BBC Red Button).

Track cycling: World Cup live (1900-2230, BBC Red Button/BBC Radio 5 live sports extra/online).

Track cycling: World Cup highlights (1400-1645, BBC Red Button/BBC Radio 5 live sports extra/online); NFL: New York Giants at Philadelphia Eagles (2100, BBC Radio 5 Live sports extra/online).

European summits ain't what they used to be. I have fond memories of the Nice Treaty. Not its political significance, you understand, but the magnificent buffet provided by our French hosts. Nowadays the poor journalists and ministers all go to the Justus Lipsius building in Brussels which is, of course, much more efficient but lacks a certain glamour. Unless you count the presence of our Diplomatic Editor, Mark Urban, who was once famously described as having saturnine good looks.

Now that the Lisbon Treaty is set - finally - to be ratified, Mark will be asking what difference will it make to the EU? And I will be asking my guests if it is just a tidying up exercise or the route to an EU super state. We'll also be exploring who will be getting the top jobs and if David Miliband wants to become the new High Representative.

Michael Crick has been causing mischief in Taunton in Somerset where a blogger has apparently caused several councillors to resign.

And Kirsty has been interviewing that giant of American literature, Philip Roth about his new novella. Watch a preview clip here.

We will be discussing that - The Humbling - with my Review guests at 11pm, who this week are Marina Hyde, Johann Hari and Jonathan Tallis.

Our main focus will be celebrity culture with several different takes on that. There's the new documentary Starsuckers which has famously hoaxed a number of newspapers into running mad "sleb" stories, like Pixie Geldof stuffing sweets in her bra and Sarah Harding from Girls Aloud being a secret expert on quantum mechanics.

There's a more soft focus view of fame with the new film showing Michael Jackson during his final rehearsals. But is it simply cashing in on his memory?

And we'll look at Reality Killed the Video Star - Robbie Williams' new album. Did the media want him to fail even before it came out?

Do join me from 10.30pm on BBC Two.

Martha