'Bring it on!' English swimmers brace for Aussie assault

England's swimmers are ready to fight fire with fire at the Commonwealth Games when they clash with a fearsome Australia team revved up by their home crowd.

The English, spearheaded by Olympic breaststroke champion Adam Peaty, expect a rude reception from the Australians when the competition begins Friday, but their swimming boss promised they will rise to the occasion.

"Australia are a powerhouse, they're the team to beat," team leader Grant Robins told AFP in an interview.

"They're strong across pretty much all the events and have a production line of swimming quality."
"We've said 'You're going to walk out here and it's going to be a hostile crowd'. We've said to the swimmers 'Stick to your game plan, soak up the atmosphere -- but don't be afraid of it!' It will be fun and enjoyable, but tough."
"But the Australian crowd are very well informed, they appreciate good quality racing and hopefully we can deliver and get a round of applause for appreciation if nothing else."
- 'Jewel in the crown' -
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"He's an awesome athlete, a great role model. He's a hell of an athlete. He doesn't need to get out of bed and do this but he loves racing."
"Obviously some of our combined British relay teams have gone off to their home nations. There will be an opportunity for some people to step up and get their name in lights with Tokyo 2020 in mind."