WORCESTER Rugby Club's Tony Windo admits England's part-time players face a daunting challenge as they prepare to tackle a Romania side gearing up for the 2003 World Cup.

Windo is the captain of England Counties, the country's second tier rugby side made up of semi-professional and amateur players who claimed their first international scalp by beating Chile 32-21 in Santiago last summer.

Now they travel to take on Romania, who are 17th in the Zurich World Rankings and preparing for a World Cup campaign that will see them take on world champions Australia, Argentina, Ireland, Namibia.

The Counties play Romania A in Constanta on June 10, take on Romania's test team in Bucharest on June 14 - both games are live on state television - and then face France Amateurs at Blagnac, near Toulouse, on June 24.

Former Gloucester prop Windo - who played for England in New Zealand in 1998 - believes his side have the mix of hard-nosed experience and young talent to surprise the home fans in Bucharest.

"The ability of the opposition is going to be a vast step up but because of the success of last year's tour, the squad is probably stronger this time round," said Windo.