Pool A: England v SamoaEngland have no option but to change tack in order to avoid calamity at this World Cup, so the seven alterations to their starting XV to face Samoa on Saturday will be no surprise to those who endured the 36-0 drubbing against South Africa last Friday night.
A fit Jonny Wilkinson will start his first match of the tournament, a fixture with do-or-die ramifications similar to his last World Cup outing, in Sydney four years ago.
It is no exaggeration to suggest defeat against Samoa in Nantes will prompt the biggest embarrassment in English rugby history, and the return of Wilkinson, who said yesterday he had feared his World Cup was over as he lay nursing a twisted ankle two weeks ago, is a belated bonus for coach Brian Ashton. Olly Barkley is also back, at inside centre after filling in for Wilkinson at stand-off against the US, following a hip injury. "I expect the two of them to manage the game well and create the sort of balance we have been missing," said Ashton.
Even a modest improvement will be greeted by supporters who have watched the poverty-stricken efforts against the USA and the Springboks with increasing disbelief. It might surprise some to find only two fresh faces - Joe Worsley and George Chuter - in a pack which made precious few inroads in open play against South Africa, but more significant is the absence of the senior citizens who were regarded as indispensable a fortnight ago. Lawrence Dallaglio, Mark Regan and Mike Catt, all 35 or over, are absent.
Ashton, though, has seen enough. If Dallaglio and Catt - who turned 36 on Monday - were viewed as latter-day Dorian Grays last month, reality has now intruded.
Should England fail to inject some pace into their game they will be sitting ducks for a hard-hitting Samoa team desperate for a result after losing to Tonga on Sunday. Catt is out of the 22 entirely, with Dallaglio, whereas Regan and Andy Farrell drop to the bench.
The squad's only specialist openside, Tom Rees, has also been ditched. Ashton has instead recalled Worsley at number seven with the specific task of tackling as many Samoans as possible in 80 minutes.
Rees was only recently being hailed by England's forwards coach, John Wells, as a potential world-beater. Ashton is clearly hoping Worsley's abrupt demotion following the USA game will spur him to give the kind of game-turning display he has delivered for Wasps in major European finals. Similarly, Ashton is banking on Wilkinson and Barkley, as yet untried together, striking up an instant partnership in midfield.
Neither have the centres, Barkley and Mathew Tait, ever been paired together at this level.
With Josh Lewsey back at fullback in place of the injured Jason Robinson less than six months after Ashton said he would never pick him at number 15 again, this England team is about as settled as Amy Winehouse's private life.
That said, there is a less one-dimensional feel to the selection, with Barkley and Tait capable of creating holes in defences and Mark Cueto restored to the wing.
The final starting change sees Shaun Perry replaced at scrumhalf by Andy Gomarsall, a consequence of Perry's off-key effort against the Springboks.
ENGLAND XV
(v Samoa, Saturday, 3.0)
J Lewsey; P Sackey, M Tait, O Barkley, M Cueto; J Wilkinson, A Gomarsall; A Sheridan, G Chuter, M Stevens; S Shaw, B Kay; M Corry (capt), J Worsley, N Easter. Replacements: M Regan, P Freshwater, S Borthwick, L Moody, P Richards, A Farrell, D Hipkiss.
