England captain Jamie Peacock is banking on typical British winter weather to help slow Australia's backline flying squad in the Four Nations rugby league series.

Australia-born England coach Tony Smith has admitted it will be a struggle for his side to match the pace and skill of the Kangaroo back division boasting the likes of Jarryd Hayne, Billy Slater and Greg Inglis.

Peacock, speaking at Monday's series launch, said he hoped conditions would conspire against hard and fast pitches: "It's a pretty special backline and hopefully the weather will slow them down a bit.

"I'm sure Smithy will come up with some ideas but at the moment I'm relying on the weather. I'm hoping for the Atlantic to start up again."

England launch the tournament against France in Doncaster, near Leeds, on Friday before Australia look to make amends for their shock 2008 World Cup final loss to New Zealand when they face the Kiwis at London's Twickenham Stoop on Saturday.

The Kangaroos are favourites to triumph in the final at Elland Road in Leeds on November 14.

But they were equally well-fancied to win the World Cup final and Kangaroo coach Tim Sheens also pointed to the Australia cricket team's Ashes reverse in England earlier this year as proof of how things don't always go to plan.

"We knew the bookmakers would make us favourites and it's being able to play up to those expectations," Sheens said. "The Australian cricket team were supposed to win over here."

Sheens added that England would be a tougher proposition on home soil than they were when thrashed 52-4 by Australia in November last year, citing English teams' success in the World Club Challenge.

"We've only got three players who have actually toured and played more than one game in a row," he said.

"A lot of them have been here on a one-off occasion with the World Club Challenge and they've been reminded that, when you play in these conditions, the English are no pushovers."

Meanwhile France have recalled Australia-born James Wynne, dropped after their poor World Cup, following the withdrawal of scrum-half Maxime Greseque and Casey McGuire.

"Casey told me 10 days ago of his decision to pull out but it was a blow to lose Maxime because, being a half-back, he had a lot of knowledge from what we'd done over four or five days (at training)," said France coach Bobby Goulding.

"He pulled his hamstring in the last heavy session that we had but I'm delighted that we've got James Wynne available. He has bags of experience and is good about the camp."

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