Bristol wing Phil Christophers is the only change to the England side to play South Africa on Saturday. He replaces James Simpson-Daniel, whose attack of glandular fever has brought a temporary halt to his fledgling Test career.
Other coaches may be fiddling with their best permutations in the build-up to next year's World Cup, but Clive Woodward is adamant his only priority is to pick the best possible England team every time they play and, by extension, remind even Lions such as Lawrence Dallaglio, Austin Healey and Danny Grewcock there is no soft route back into the starting line-up.
"The biggest thing that makes players perform is knowing people are breathing down their necks. You've got to keep that pressure on," said Woodward in explaining why he has chosen not to rotate his starting options.
"The guys cannot have a weak Test match because they won't get picked for the next one. That's the way to do it, not worry about what England's team might be in 12 months' time. That will take care of itself."
His Springbok counterpart Rudolf Straeuli has taken the opposite approach and was content to try out inexperienced men against France and Scotland as he builds towards next year's pivotal World Cup pool encounter against England.
Woodward, though, has mostly satisfied his lust for experimentation, not least in Argentina in June when Christophers made a successful debut, and he clearly craves a third successive Southern Hemisphere scalp.
His forwards coach, Andy Robinson, meanwhile, has reminded everyone not to underestimate the Springboks.
"They'll be looking to compete at the scrum, compete at the lineout and smash us down in defence. They're playing against England at Twickenham and they know if they can get their back division on the front foot they can win this game."
The mood in the England camp was further brightened when Jason Leonard went off to collect his MBE at Buckingham Palace. As the veteran prop admitted afterwards: "With these ears the Queen must have known I play rugby."
ENGLAND: J Robinson (Sale); B Cohen (Northampton), W Greenwood (Harlequins), M Tindall (Bath), P Christophers (Bristol); J Wilkinson (Newcastle), M Dawson (Northampton); J Leonard (Harlequins), S Thompson (Northampton), P Vickery (Gloucester), M Johnson (Leicester, capt), B Kay (Leicester), L Moody (Leicester), N Back (Leicester), R Hill (Saracens). Replacements: M Regan (Leeds), R Morris (Northampton), D Grewcock (Bath), L Dallaglio (Wasps), A Gomarsall (Gloucester), A Healey (Leicester), T Stimpson (Leicester).
Guardian Service
