Farrell plans inside job

Jason Robinson, written off by just about everyone except himself after seizing up against South Africa three weeks ago, re-appears against Australia here on Saturday behind Andy Farrell, restored for another crack at the troublesome inside centre position.

By the sound of it, Farrell would appear to have made the more miraculous recovery of the two.

"One of the hardest things for Andy at the moment is taking all the knives out of his back," said Robinson, referring to the criticism of his former rugby league colleague since the Springboks brought the house down in Paris.

"He has played at the top level, he has great experience and he's a valued member of our team. He will not be fazed."

None the worse for the figurative wounds caused by various attacks on his role at the tournament, 'Faz' the unfazed has wasted no time reclaiming the No 12 jersey from Olly Barkley and now lines himself up in a strictly defensive operation against the Australian they call 'Kid Dynamite', the all-dancing Matt Giteau.

Not that Brian Ashton is making any predictions. "I don't know how it's going to turn out," he said on the outcome of the duel. "I'm not a clairvoyant."

To say Robinson and Farrell need to even the score against the Aussies is an understatement.

The last time they lined up in tandem against Australia at a World Cup, in the final of the rugby league version at Wembley 12 years ago, England lost.

Since then Farrell led Great Britain against them 14 times and lost all but three, including a 44-4 drubbing at Elland Road three years ago in his last game of league before switching codes.

Apart from the marsupial downsizing from a Kangaroo to a Wallaby, nothing has changed when it comes to beating them. Another loss and there would be no tomorrow, at least certainly not for Robinson, who will retire as soon as his World Cup ends.

According to Australia's senior coach Alex Evans, that will be on Saturday evening. "If the Wallabies play rugby, they will beat England by 30 points," said Evans, the "scrum doctor" who helped coach the World Cup-winning squad eight years ago.

"They have to keep the ball in hand and work the phases. The English backs are poor in defence and if we run their forwards around, we'll smash them. Our fitness and ability with the ball is far superior."

Robinson, who gave the heroic impression of playing South Africa on his own while all about him was falling apart, knows that England's partial recovery since then will have to accelerate dramatically if the holders are to upset all those sensitive Australians already talking glibly about a semi-final against New Zealand or France.

"If you don't get your game right, they have the capacity to score points," he said. "We have to get it right and take the game to them.

"You cannot afford to sit back against a team like Australia. We have to be confrontational and equip ourselves with the right gameplan. It's been a rocky road but we've ironed out quite a few things and we're on course. Now we'll leave the talking until Saturday."

Despite a second successive win, head coach Brian Ashton makes six changes and dismisses any question that he has gambled on Robinson's surprisingly swift recovery from a pulled hamstring.

He said: "I must admit that when it happened I thought that was the last time Jason would play for England. But it's not a gamble at all. He has done everything required of him and he's fine."

With Josh Lewsey reverting to the wing instead of Mark Cueto, the victim of injury and a poor match against Tonga, the most intriguing selection is that of Farrell in preference to Barkley.

While the latter pays for too many mistakes last week, Farrell did enough during a try-scoring half-hour as a substitute to warrant a resumption of his fragmented midfield partnership with Jonny Wilkinson.

England clearly see the rock-solid Saracen shoring up a defence which the Tongans breached at times with alarming ease. Ashton said: "Andy has been looking sharper and sharper as the tournament has gone on. He looks the right selection at No 12 because of his ability to go to the line and offload, his general leadership and game-management."

Phil Vickery, not good enough to oust Matt Stevens at tighthead last week, is good enough this week and regains the captaincy for good measure.

Wasps lock Simon Shaw returns in place of Steve Borthwick after a week's rest, likewise Mark Regan for George Chuter at hooker, changes which give fresh ballast to a pack confident of out-scrummaging their opponents.

Just for a change, the back row is untouched, which leaves Lawrence Dallaglio on the bench and Lewis 'Mad Dog' Moody deservedly on the openside for his 50th cap.

The nickname, pinned on him by an admiring Ashton, does justice to Moody's fearless disregard for life and limb, which included taking a Tongan boot flush in the face during an airborne attempt to charge down a clearance.

ENGLAND: Robinson; Sackey, Tait, Farrell, Lewsey; Wilkinson, Gomarsall; Sheridan, Regan, Vickery (capt), Shaw, Kay, Corry, Easter, Moody. Substitutes: Chuter, Stevens, Dallaglio, Worsley, Richards, Barkley, Hipkiss.