The donkeys have been left in the field, while the backs have been shaken up. Martin Johnson has adjusted his squad, acknowledging good form here and injuries there, thereby underlining the themes - continuity is all-important to the base, and confidence the secret to the quality of the decoration.
Up front, nothing much has shifted, to the extent that Tom Palmer and Tom Rees, who will miss the Six Nations through injury, were named in the revised squad. Nick Easter, who has been at the heart of Harlequins' development into a side easy on the move and tough to penetrate, takes over from Jordan Crane, who does the hard-yards part of the back-row formula but who has yet to raise his head to see alternatives.
There is no place in the elite squad - only in the Saxons - for Steffon Armitage, who has become a sort of beacon for a brighter style of back-row play. But the London Irish player's exclusion is mitigated by the return of Lewis Moody.
It would never be possible to describe Moody as your thinking wing forward, but he has returned to action with his personal whirlwind swirling so fiercely that there is a bit of everything known to man in there. Moody uninjured is a force of nature, as set apart in style from his team-mates as Martyn Williams is - in a completely different way - for Wales. He is a player who has to be accommodated even if he doesn't fit into the rather rigid structures that John Wells, the forwards coach, seems to prefer.
If Moody and Easter occupy No7 and No8, that leaves a rare old tussle between Tom Croft and James Haskell for the No6 shirt, a duel that should liven up the training sessions. Will Dylan Hartley be able to stay away if it gets spicy? Isn't it time to find out?
The rest of the front five might be encouraged to give it a similar blast in training, to show that if they have lost the dark art of terrorising opponents, they have at least swapped it for a more all-purpose athleticism. Phil Vickery has led the way at club level, rediscovering an almost graceful mobility in the loose. Matt Stevens and Andrew Sheridan need to ape the old boy.
In the second row, it is presumably a question of who will partner Steve Borthwick. Does Johnson think Nick Kennedy can form a partnership with the captain? He has tried it once but seems to mistrust it for games when the spittle froths.
Danny Care writes himself down in ink, a small player writ in large letters, one of the sensations of the season thus far. But after that, it's a lot less clear. Is Shane Geraghty exclusively a No12, or might he be given a chance at No10? Toby Flood at outside-half seems as prone as Danny Cipriani to sliding a 10-minute spell of chaos into his overall 80.
Mike Tindall returns, banned from driving but given full licence to bring thrust and common sense to the outside-centre position. He's not the best passer on earth but has recently displayed as much appetite for the mucky tasks as he ever did when he was a regular. Might he be the player to take Riki Flutey up to international level - a sort of on-field mentor? In the quest for leaders across the pitch, Tindall becomes practically indispensable.
As for the back three, perhaps it is best to leave well alone, even if Paul Sackey and Ugo Monye received hardly a pass in November. Their speed and strength will at least worry opponents.
Delon Armitage should start at full-back, a reward for being the outstanding England player in November, but he will be aware that Olly Morgan has leapt into the frame, and Ben Foden has made a startling impact in a position he claims - or claimed - not to like.
Suddenly England have daring full-backs coming out of their ears. If the cauliflowers prevent them bursting forth then the whole plan to play in a more liberated fashion, more in accordance with the designs of the law-makers, will be scuppered.
But what of Cipriani, the symbol of free-thinking? After his cruel exposure last time, perhaps he should be placed on the bench, alongside Foden, and told to watch and absorb, and work out how, when the chance comes, to make a positive mark at the rear end of a game. The basics first, the flourish second.
Eddie Butler's England XV
Delon Armitage; Paul Sackey, Mike Tindall, Riki Flutey, Ugo Monye; Shane Geraghty, Danny Care; Andrew Sheridan, Dylan Hartley, Phil Vickery, Nick Kennedy Steve Borthwick, Tom Croft, Lewis Moody, Nick Easter.
Replacements: Mears, Stevens, Shaw, Haskell, Ellis, Foden, Cipriani.
