Rugby: Robinson aims to be a big-time operator

Jason Robinson today continued his rugby union odyssey when he was handed the crucial strike role of full-back in a radically-restructured England side against Australia at Twickenham on Saturday.

Robinson will make his first home start for England in a team showing seven changes from the side that lost their third consecutive Grand Slam decider against Ireland a fortnight ago.

At 5ft 8in Robinson will be the smallest player on the field but today he was talking big about England’s chances of emulating their injury-time triumph over the Aussies at rugby HQ last year.

‘‘They have some phenomenal players and it is a great challenge,’’ said Robinson.

‘‘We will give them the respect they deserve but they are human. If you pressure them they will make mistakes like everyone else.’’

Robinson’s selection, in place of the shattered nerves of Bath’s Iain Balshaw, is a reaffirmation of England manager Clive Woodward’s commitment to attack at all cost in his bid to make England the best side in world rugby.

The extent of the changes, however, is as much an admission that he got it hopelessly and dramatically wrong in Dublin as a demonstration of England’s strength in depth.

Into the starting line-up comes Austin Healey on the wing to lend a shaft of unpredictability and set up another potential confrontation with Aussie second row Justin Harrison, the man Healey famously branded a ‘‘plank’’ on the summer British Lions tour.

In comes an entirely fresh front row with prop Phil Vickery restored after recovering from injury, hooker Dorian West replacing the flawed Phil Greening and the often-forgotten but in-form Graham Rowntree ousting veteran Jason Leonard, who equalled Gareth Edwards record of 46 consecutive caps against Ireland.

In also comes Leicester second row Ben Kay for Simon Shaw and Wasps flanker Joe Worsley for Martin Corry. Kyran Bracken takes over from Matt Dawson at scrum-half.

Dawson’s omission, purely on the grounds of form stressed Woodward, hands Neil Back the captaincy on his 43rd cap in the continued absence of Leicester team-mate Martin Johnson, whose return from a hand injury is pencilled in for the South Africa game on November 24.