Andy Robinson has challenged Andy Goode to prove he is England's long-term number 10 after picking the Leicester flyhalf to face South Africa this Saturday in the absence of the injured Charlie Hodgson.
Goode is one of four changes to the team which beat the Springboks 23-21 at Twickenham last weekend, with Lee Mears, Chris Jones and Phil Vickery chosen to reinforce the front five in place of George Chuter, Ben Kay and Andrew Sheridan. Martin Corry has retained the captaincy as well as his role at number eight but Robinson's job as head coach could yet hinge on Goode's ability to seize his unexpected opportunity.
Ten days ago the 26-year-old was absent from the 22-man squad against Argentina, having been edged out by Newcastle's Toby Flood, but his second-half kicking steadied a wobbly ship against the Boks and Robinson, resigned to being without Hodgson until the eve of next year's World Cup in France as he recovers from major knee surgery, has handed the understudy his big chance.
"It's important there's a big statement from Andy Goode," the coach said. "In Europe over the next few weeks, and in the Six Nations, he can take a real hold on the number 10 position by taking the game by the scruff of the neck and by masterminding our attacking game. It's about the team responding to the tactical decisions he makes. Last week he turned the game around for us."
Goode, who will make his third Test start, insists he is ready to make an impact despite being omitted by club and country in recent weeks. "Whenever you get an opportunity to start for England the shirt is in your hands," he said. "We know Charlie is out for a long time and it's important for the whole team, not just for me, to play well this weekend."
Hodgson and Sheridan will not play again this season. The injured pair's Sale club-mate Jones, picked in the second row after confronting Robinson to ask why he had been left on the bench against the All Blacks, said yesterday that both players were in low spirits.
The other live issue is whether Robinson has just announced an England team for the last time. He would not confirm or deny reports that he needs two wins out of four this autumn to survive but his latest team looks like a selection designed to snatch another win by any available means.
Wasps' Tom Rees and Dan Ward-Smith of Bristol, both strong candidates for a backrow place, have once again been overlooked and the backline has been re-selected en bloc, with the obvious exception of Hodgson.
"There's no point showing the backbone and team spirit we showed last week only to throw it all away this weekend," said Robinson.
Sale's prop Stuart Turner, who would have been a candidate to face South Africa, has been banned for a week for being sent off against Newcastle last Friday.
ENGLAND (v South Africa, Twickenham, Saturday): J Lewsey (Wasps); M Cueto (Sale Sharks), M Tait (Newcastle), J Noon (Newcastle), B Cohen (Northampton); A Goode (Leicester), P Richards (Gloucester); P Vickery (Wasps), L Mears (Bath), J White (Leicester), T Palmer (Wasps), C Jones (Sale Sharks), J Worsley (Wasps), P Sanderson (Worcester), M Corry (Leicester, capt). Replacements: G Chuter (Leicester), T Payne (Wasps), B Kay (Leicester), L Moody (Leicester), S Perry (Bristol), T Flood (Newcastle), M van Gisbergen (Wasps).
