I think you are being naive in what you think will generate interest. Us taking on Ireland or Italy, places where the sport has barely any profile or grass roots, won't achieve it. As an Australian would you be interested in seeing a USA baseball team made up of Americans taking on an Australia baseball team made up of Americans? So a sport with little or no profile in Australia and an Australia team made up entirely of another nationality, would you pay money to go see it?
Another thing, never mind lack of media coverage in those other countries what tv station in England would cover games against minnows? BBC 2 only showed RLWC games involving England, none of Ireland, Wales or Scotland were shown as the sport has little or no profile in the others. This is the BBC we are talking about which covers the four countries, yet in RL only one got coverage. The BBC are unlikely to cover a non RLWC game involving England against a team that isn't NZ or Australia. Sky are even less likely to do so. Premier sports is probably the best shot and it's watched by very few, so ultimately there is very little to gain for England playing against these teams right now.
Perhaps as you have seen what has happened in the Pacific islands you are thinking the same will happen here. Tonga, Samoa and the Pacific islands are rugby playing nations. It's an easy sell to them, it's in their culture. A Tonga team made up of New Zealanders will still generate plenty of interest in Tonga, that isn't replicated here. Top down approach will not work here.
