Six Nations:Desperate times call for desperate measures and, in the wake of a record Six Nations defeat in Ireland, Brian Ashton has yanked the emergency cord. England's head coach believes his team have plummeted into the second division of world rugby and, in an effort to halt the decline, has made a staggering 11 changes, three of them positional, to the side for Sunday's encounter with France at Twickenham.
A temporary new captain in the 35-year-old Mike Catt is just one of several significant U-turns, prompted in part by injuries to the high-profile trio of Jonny Wilkinson, skipper Phil Vickery and Andy Farrell. Toby Flood will deputise at outhalf for his Newcastle team-mate, with Catt assuming Farrell's inside-centre role as well as Vickery's armband. At 35 years and six months, Catt will become the oldest back ever to lead England.
It is the underperforming pack, though, which has felt the full force of Ashton's ire following a Dublin display he described as "not acceptable". Just two of the eight forwards who started at Croke Park - George Chuter and Joe Worsley - reappear in the same numbered jerseys with Martin Corry shunted unceremoniously into the second row.
In other circumstances Corry might have been upset at not regaining the captaincy. As it is he will be grateful for small mercies. Ashton, instead, has given Nick Easter of Harlequins his chance at number eight, flanker Tom Rees gets a first Test start and his fellow Wasp Tim Payne makes a Six Nations debut at loosehead prop.
The most glaring casualties are Danny Grewcock and Perry Freshwater, both ejected entirely from the matchday 22. Tom Palmer, Julian White and Jason Robinson, in contrast, return to the fray, Josh Lewsey is at full-back in place of the injured Olly Morgan and two uncapped players - Sale prop Stuart Turner and London Irish outhalf Shane Geraghty - are included on an inexperienced bench. The message could not be clearer. Ashton saw enough against the Irish to confirm that England were on a road to nowhere without an immediate injection of pace and dynamism. This is a more recognisable Ashton-esque side, picked with one eye on the looming World Cup.
In that respect, the absences of Vickery (concussion), Wilkinson (hamstring) and Farrell (back) have provided Ashton with a useful opportunity to experiment. The head coach made it pretty clear yesterday he would have included all three against the French had they been fit, singling out Farrell's contribution as the visitor's top tackler in the 43-13 defeat in Dublin.
"I have known Mike Catt since 1992 when he came across to this country from South Africa, and if there is one player who knows the way I want to develop this game then it is him. He is full of experience and enthusiasm, and I am putting my money on him to help deliver the type of game I want England to play. He is a natural athlete . . . he will be just as fit when he is 45 as he is now," said Ashton. Heaven help English rugby if Catt is still playing in 2017.
