England's hopes of putting their record 43-10 Six Nations mauling in Ireland behind them against France this weekend looked altogether bleaker today when Phil Vickery, Jonny Wilkinson and Andy Farrell were ruled out through injury.
Vickery, who has not recovered from the concussion he sustained during Wasps' Guinness Premiership game against Bristol last Sunday, is replaced by Julian White, while Toby Flood will make his first Test start as replacement for Wilkinson, who has a right hamstring injury. Farrell, whose back strain has not responded to treatment, will be replaced by 35-year-old Mike Catt.
Brian Ashton's changes don't end there, however: in total, there are eight changes of personnel and two positional switches in the England team that will line up against France at Twickenham on Sunday.
In the pack, four players - prop Perry Freshwater, locks Louis Deacon and Danny Grewcock, together with flanker Magnus Lund - pay the price after England were outmuscled in Dublin. Martin Corry switches to the second row, while Jason Robinson has recovered from a neck injury to reclaim one of the wing berths alongside David Strettle, with Josh Lewsey moving to full-back in place of the injured Olly Morgan.
Wasps prop Tim Payne starts in the front row instead of Freshwater with Corry and Tom Palmer forging a new second-row partnership. In the back row, Joe Worsley keeps his place but there are starts for his Wasps colleague Tom Rees in the No7 shirt and Harlequins' Nick Easter at No8.
Deacon and Lund feature on the bench but Freshwater and Grewcock are dispensed with completely.
England team to play France in RBS 6 Nations Champions at Twickenham on Sunday, March 11: J Lewsey (Wasps); J Robinson (Sale), M Tindall (Gloucester), M Catt (London Irish), D Strettle (Harlequins); T Flood (Newcastle), H Ellis (Leicester); T Payne (Wasps), G Chuter (Leicester), J White (Leicester), M Corry (Leicester), T Palmer (Wasps), J Worsley (Wasps), T Rees (Wasps), N Easter (Harlequins).
Replacements: L Mears (Bath), S Turner (Sale), L Deacon (Leicester), M Lund (Sale), S Perry (Bristol), S Geraghty (London Irish), M Tait (Newcastle).
