Martin Corry, widely regarded as the in-form number eight in Britain this season, embodies the high velocity footballing style England will attempt to impose on all comers, starting with today's expected demolition of the Netherlands.
While it is true that he only won his place after Lawrence Dellaglio dropped out with a knee injury, the Leicester forward's bustling hard-nose presence, ball in hand, underlines England's positive ambition as they embark on the demanding build up to next year's World Cup.
Corry (25) has not yet acquired the tempered steel finish of world class forwards like Martin Johnson or Dallaglio, but his up-to-date vision of the game ties in with the over-lapping of roles that the England coach Clive Woodward wants to see in operation at the McAlpine stadium, Huddersfield.
"We want to maintain the balance of the back row between Ben Clarke and Neil Back without tying Martin down to a narrowly defined role that inhibits his ability to work off the cuff. While the three players must complement each other, Martin is there chiefly to make the hard yards and drive deep into their midfield. If necessary, his can also put in big hits in defence and win the ball back."
Ironically, Corry may have benefitted from not being picked for England's disastrous summer tour to the southern hemisphere which damaged the confidence and the reputation of several young players. He knows he has won his place on merit and that a number of hungry older men are waiting for him to slip up.
England have a great deal to prove to themselves and to the bemused rugby public who are not used to seeing their side give away 76 and 64 points in successive Tests. Anything less than a 60-point victory over the inexperienced Dutch would raise serious questions about the confidence of England's revamped side, not to mention coaching staff who have had 14 months in which to develop a successful formula. Woodward this week insisted that the multiple team changes he has made in his 13 Test selections have been forced on him by injuries or unavailability: whatever the truth of that explanation, need for consistency has become imperative.
It will be fascinating to see whether the dynamism of the Leicester side will be carried over by the seven Tigers in the line-up who have struck a rich vein of individual form which could crystallise Woodward's thinking. He really needs to have his World Cup side settled by the start of the Five Nations in February.
The option of de-powering the scrum this afternoon in the interest of safety must be a possibility. England's real task is to keep the ball moving smoothly through hands for the full 80 minutes.
