Ashton sticks with Jonny for Italian job

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Although head coach Brian Ashton will make four changes, all of them have been forced on him by injuries sustained during the 26-19 collapse at HQ.

Despite coming under closer scrutiny than at any time before, Wilkinson will preserve his record of never having been dropped since becoming an automatic selection in February 2000.

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Untouchable: Wilkinson stays

He will form an all-Newcastle midfield trio against Italy in Rome on Sunday alongside the reinstated Jamie Noon and Toby Flood, who admitted to having been stunned by speculation over Wilkinson's selection.

Flood said: "I was shocked, I really was. I thought Jonny had a good game. We all make mistakes and if you push the bar as high as he does, then even if you're only 80 or 90 per cent there, you put yourself in the firing line.

"Look at Tiger Woods. If he doesn't win the tournament, he's supposedly a failure. Whenever a team loses, there doesn't have to be a fall-guy. Jonny's a strong enough character to be ready for this weekend."

Noon, England's first major casualty at the last World Cup when he shattered a knee in the 36-0 pool defeat against South Africa, will replace the hospitalbound Mike Tindall at outside centre.

Gloucester wing Lesley Vainikolo, an early substitute for the injured David Strettle last Saturday, will start where he finished off against Wales, on the left wing.

The other two changes, both in the back row, have also been forced by injury.

Nick Easter's late recovery from a knee condition which kept him inactive last week has forced Ashton to postpone the introduction of Leicester's uncapped 22-year-old flanker, Tom Croft.

James Haskell, England's best forward against Wales, will continue at blindside, with Michael Lipman, Bath's 27-year-old London-born, Sydney-educated flanker, making his Six Nations debut at openside.

The first and second choices, Lewis Moody and Tom Rees, were crocked in rapid succession during the first half.

Luke Narraway, Gloucester's newly-capped versatile back row forward, is earmarked to cover all three positions from the bench.