Brian Ashton will announce his first England team on Monday and it will show at least 10 changes from the side that lost to South Africa at Twickenham last November, a defeat which prompted the Rugby Football Union to replace Andy Robinson as head coach.
Only three of the starting line-up against South Africa two months ago look certain to retain their places, given the formation that sources say England used in training this week: Josh Lewsey, and he might have been dropped had Paul Sackey not withdrawn from the squad yesterday because of injury; Phil Vickery, and he will move from loose-head prop to tight-head; and the second-row Tom Palmer.
The back row will be revamped, with the Bristol No8 Dan Ward-Smith set to win his first cap and a specialist open-side flanker, Sale's Magnus Lund or Wasps' Tom Rees, brought in. It leaves Martin Corry fighting with Joe Worsley and Lewis Moody for a place at blind-side flanker.
The World Cup winners Steve Thompson and Danny Grewcock will bolster the front five, and the return of Harry Ellis, whose superior passing makes him more suited than Peter Richards to the quick game favoured by Ashton, signals a renouncing of England's final weeks under Robinson.
The South Africa defeat was their eighth in nine internationals but, even if changing two-thirds of the team is revolutionary, Ashton insists that his approach will be evolutionary, tailoring tactics to the comfort of his players. He has promised a change in the way England play, placing more emphasis on offloading in contact and trying to create space by guile rather than charging at defenders.
With Andy Farrell inked in to make his England debut at inside-centre to bring continuity to England's midfield, the imminent return of Jonny Wilkinson after 10 weeks out with a lacerated kidney has presented Ashton with an intriguing dilemma. By retaining the Newcastle outside-half for all three of the national training days this week rather than returning him to his club for the Premiership match at Leicester tomorrow, Ashton sent out a clear signal that he not only expects Wilkinson to play a part in the Six Nations but sooner rather than later.
A decision has yet to be made on whether to include him in the squad for Scotland but Ashton said this week: "I hope Jonny will be in the team as soon as possible: he has been staggering in training this week. Recent history shows that when Jonny comes back from injury he plays better than he was in the game when he was injured.
"It is almost unbelievable. It is because he works incredibly hard and he reminds me of Tiger Woods, who not only has great talent but who works harder than anyone else. I think his understanding and knowledge of the game have developed during the time he has been out injured. With his experience and skill set you have a world-class player on your hands."
Bookies have recently shortened the odds on England winning the Six Nations after a spate of bets by punters convinced Wilkinson's return to the team is imminent - especially as England's opening two fixtures are at home to Scotland and Italy. If Ashton decides Scotland is too soon for Wilkinson, Toby Flood will start at outside-half, with Mike Tindall partnering Farrell in the centre.
A Wilkinson-Farrell combination at 10-12 would be better served by the pace of Mathew Tait at outside-centre than the ball-carrying strength of Tindall, but England will not lack pace in the back three with Jason Robinson and Lewsey the likely wings and Iain Balshaw at full-back.
