Tindall better suited to final test - Woodward

England boss Clive Woodward today adopted a “horses for courses” selection policy as he recalled centre Mike Tindall to face Australia in the World Cup final.

The 25-year-old will take over from his Bath colleague Mike Catt at Telstra Stadium on Saturday.

Tough-tackling Tindall was omitted in favour of Catt for the semi-final victory over France, but the pair have now swapped places, with Catt, seven years his senior, on the bench.

It is the same side that beat Australia 25-14 in Melbourne five months ago, apart from at scrum-half, where Matt Dawson takes over from Kyran Bracken.

England scored three tries against the Wallabies that day – Tindall, Ben Cohen and Will Greenwood touching down – making a mockery of the relentless Australian media campaign this week blasting the Six Nations champions for their reliance on goalkicker Jonny Wilkinson.

Woodward had no real selection issues, and it is a vastly-experienced combination, with six of the starting XV – Wilkinson, Matt Dawson, skipper Martin Johnson, Richard Hill, Neil Back and Lawrence Dallaglio – boasting 50 Test caps or more.

Leicester and Northampton have the biggest representations, with three players each, as England contest their first World Cup final since Australia beat them at Twickenham 12 years ago.

Replacement prop Jason Leonard will play in his second World Cup final, if he appears off the bench.

The eight squad players to miss out on a place in the 22 are wing Dan Luger, centre Stuart Abbott, fly-half Paul Grayson, scrum-half Andy Gomarsall, prop Julian White, hooker Mark Regan, lock Simon Shaw and back-row forward Joe Worsley.

“We made the change (Catt for Tindall) for the French game, and that was based on who we were playing against,” said Woodward, analysing his midfield switch.

“Playing Australia, it was right to go back to Tindall. It’s horses for courses, and we are here to win this match – simple as that.”

Tindall’s greater physical presence, especially in defence, should help England counteract the Wallabies’ attacking threat, but Woodward denied that playmaker Catt’s absence would hamper attempts to play a wide game.

“England play with a lot width, especially in the last 12 or 24 months, but you don’t win the World Cup by playing with width. You win the World Cup by winning, and we are here to win.

“Tindall is a key part of our team, and has been now for a long period of time. He fully understood why we made the change for the French game, and he was brilliant last week.

“Mike Catt has been brilliant this week, and I am sure he will have a big role to play on the weekend. It’s about winning the Test match, it is not about individual disappointments or anything else.

“We sat Catty down, and we took him through it. He fully understood, I shook his hand and on you go.

“If anyone wasn’t prepared to take the upside or the downside, they wouldn’t have got on the plane. Catty was spot-on with his reaction. He wants to win the World Cup, whether he is coming off the bench or starting.

“It is about winning, and we have said from day one that is why we are here. We are one game away from going home happy.

“I get paid to win Test matches, and the last four games against Australia, we’ have won four out of four – that is the only statistic I know.”