England roll out the big guns early

England boss Clive Woodward will unleash his star names on tournament minnows Georgia in next Sunday’s World Cup opener at Subiaco Oval.

Woodward today made his intentions clear from the outset by naming his strongest available line-up for the Georgia clash.

He has resisted any temptation to rest his big guns ahead of Saturday week’s encounter with South Africa, which will undoubtedly decide the outcome of Pool C.

Fly-half Jonny Wilkinson, skipper Martin Johnson and number eight Lawrence Dallaglio all feature in a team showing just one change from the side that defeated world champions Australia 25-14 in Melbourne three months ago.

That switch is at scrum-half, where Northampton’s Matt Dawson is preferred to Kyran Bracken, who starts on the bench.

But Bracken and his fellow replacements can all expect to figure at some stage as Woodward is likely to use all 22 players during what could be an embarrassingly one-sided affair.

England team to play Georgia in World Cup Pool C at Subiaco Oval, Perth next Sunday.

ENGLAND: J Lewsey (Wasps); J Robinson (Sale Sharks), W Greenwood (Harlequins), M Tindall (Bath), B Cohen (Northampton); J Wilkinson (Newcastle), M Dawson (Northampton); T Woodman (Gloucester), S Thompson (Northampton), P Vickery (Gloucester), M Johnson (Leicester, captain), B Kay (Leicester), R Hill (Saracens), N Back (Leicester), L Dallaglio (Wasps).

Replacements: M Regan (Leeds), J Leonard (Harlequins), D Grewcock (Bath), L Moody (Leicester), K Bracken (Saracens), P Grayson (Northampton), I Balshaw (Bath).