The Bristol wing Phil Christophers is the only change to the England side to play South Africa on Saturday. He replaces James Simpson-Daniel, whose attack of glandular fever has brought a temporary halt to his fledgling Test career.
Other coaches may be fiddling with their best permutations in the build-up to next year's World Cup, but Clive Woodward remains adamant. His only priority is to pick the best possible England team every time they play and, by extension, remind even top-class Lions such as Lawrence Dallaglio, Austin Healey and Danny Grewcock that there is no soft route back into the starting line-up.
If Woodward deserves credit for one thing above all else in his five years as head coach, it is cultivating healthy competition for places and his final selection of the calendar year is no exception.
"The biggest thing that makes players perform is knowing people are breathing down their necks. You've got to keep that pressure on," said Woodward in explaining why he has chosen not to rotate his starting options.
"The guys cannot have a weak Test match because they won't get picked for the next one. That's the way to do it, not worry about what England's team might be in 12 months time. That will take care of itself."
His Springbok counterpart Rudolf Straeuli, who has not been in his own job nearly as long, has taken the opposite approach and was content to try out inexperienced men against France and Scotland as he builds towards next year's pivotal World Cup pool encounter against England.
Woodward, though, has mostly satisfied his lust for experimentation, not least in Argentina in June when Christophers made a successful debut, and he clearly craves a third successive southern-hemisphere scalp.
"I could pick another 15 I'd be very happy with at the weekend but these are big Test matches which we want to win. Winning is the biggest momentum you can get. I'm not sure what England's team will be next October. All I know is that our back row has been chosen on merit, leaving out a big name, and real competition for places is what you want moving into a World Cup year."
His forwards coach Andy Robinson, meanwhile, has reminded everyone not to underestimate the Springboks. "They'll be looking to compete at the scrum, compete at the lineout and smash us down in defence. They're playing against England at Twickenham and they know if they can get their back division on the front foot they can win this game."
The Springbok assistant coach Tim Lane has also been doing his best to boost the tourists' morale. "Had Ben Blair scored for New Zealand against England and had Australia's Matt Burke kicked the last penalty with a few minutes to go, we might be reading about England rugby being in crisis." If Woodward's team needed any further motivation, Lane has probably supplied it.
Peace and harmony reigned supreme yesterday at England's hotel in Bagshot. Wins over New Zealand and Australia have ensured a squad visibly at ease with itself and the mood was further brightened by the news that Jason Leonard was off collecting his MBE at Buckingham Palace. As the veteran prop admitted afterwards: "With these ears the Queen must have known I play rugby."
England : Robinson (Sale); Cohen (Northampton), Greenwood (Harlequins), Tindall (Bath), Christophers (Bristol); Wilkinson (Newcastle), Dawson (Northampton); Leonard (Harlequins), Thompson (Northampton), Vickery (Gloucester), Johnson (Leicester, capt), Kay (Leicester), Moody (Leicester), Back (Leicester), Hill (Saracens). Replacements: Regan (Leeds), Morris (Northampton), Grewcock (Bath), Dallaglio (Wasps), Gomarsall (Gloucester), Healey (Leicester), Stimpson (Leicester).
