Leicester's Leon Lloyd has finally been handed an England jersey - and it will have to be ripped off his back before he gives it up.

Lloyd's two previous international appearances have been as a replacement but he will start tonight against Canada in Markham - and is looking to give Clive Woodward a problem.

``My job is to make Clive's job harder,'' said the 23-year-old triple Premiership winner. ``This is my first start and I am very excited about it.

``I have had an awesome season with Leicester and picked up a few niggles on the way but the England jersey helps you forget all the bumps and bruises.

``With Mike Catt and Will Greenwood away with the Lions, this is a huge opportunity to prove I can play. I have been on the fringe of the England squad for three years, so to start a game is a big thing. Now I have the jersey I want to keep hold of it.''

Lloyd forms part of a back division which, skipper Kyran Bracken apart, contains just six caps.

Newcastle supply three debutants, while like Lloyd, both Paul Sampson and Josh Lewsey are barely one step further up the international ladder. What they all have though, is the unpredictability of youth.

If the intense training sessions over the past two weeks have paid off and some of the poor decisions taken against the Barbarians last Sunday are eradicated, England should have too much fire-power for a Canadian team containing only two or three players capable of mixing it at the very highest level.

Scrum-half Morgan Williams is rated among the top five exponents in the world by Bracken and his performances for Stade Francais recently suggest he is firing at the peak of his powers.

Full-back - and Lloyd's former Tigers team-mate Winston Stanley - also has something to prove as he tries to earn himself another contract in England, while Cardiff flanker Dan Baugh is the man expecting to give fly-half Dave Walder a hard time.

Without their star names, the Canadians performed creditably despite going down 20-6 to Argentina in the Pacific Rim tournament last weekend.

What emerged though was a worrying lack of discipline which has been a key aspect of English team meetings this week.

With three men sin-binned and number eight Ryan Banks dismissed, Canada eventually subsided.

Banks will miss tonight's contest through suspension and, while expecting a thorough physical test, England know they must avoid being drawn into any violent confrontations.

``There were a lot of yellow cards last week, as well as the sending-off,'' said Lloyd. ``If they lose their heads again then we will win the game.

``I know a few of their players, especially Winston. I have been trying to get hold of him but maybe that will wait until after the game.

``The run-out against the Barbarians last week was excellent because they are an awesome team. To play to that standard, under so much pressure was quite pleasing because we could easily have won the game.''

Lloyd should certainly feel at home when he looks round the dressing rooms at the 8,000-capacity Fletchers Field stadium, some 30km from Toronto.

The Coventry-born star will be accompanied by five Welford Road team-mates, including lock Ben Kay and flanker Lewis Moody who are both making their debuts.

With that duo's complete inexperience, Lloyd is something of the middle man, Graham Rowntree, Martin Corry and Dorian West being old hands on the England scene.

Lloyd feels the six-man Leicester congregation is fitting testament to the Tigers outstanding Treble-winning campaign, which has seen the club firmly establish itself at the pinnacle of the European scene.

``I am enjoying my rugby so much,'' he said. ``I have been winning trophies at Leicester and now I am in the international team.

``It helps that there are a few Tigers in the side and it is good for Ben and Lewis to get their first caps. But I am especially pleased that Graham Rowntree is back in the side.

``Most of the guys at Welford Road thought he should have been in before now because he has had an amazing year. But he has kept battling away and I am so delighted he has finally got his reward.''