Johnson names new-look midfield

Martin Johnson has named a new-look midfield of Jonny Wilkinson, Mike Tindall and Manu Tuilagi for England’s final World Cup warm-up international against Ireland on Saturday.

Wilkinson has reclaimed the fly-half role from Toby Flood just a fortnight before England’s opening World Cup encounter, against Argentina on September 10.

Tuilagi made a try-scoring debut against Wales three weeks ago and returns to the team in place of Shontayne Hape, with Tindall moving to inside centre.

Tindall, who continues as captain in the absence of Lewis Moody, will win his 72nd cap and draw level with Will Carling as England’s most-capped centre.

The team features six changes from the 19-9 defeat to Wales in Cardiff and provides the strongest indication yet of Johnson’s first choice World Cup side.

ngland team to play Ireland at the Aviva Stadium in Dublin on Saturday, August 27 (kick-off 2.30pm):

B Foden (Northampton); C Ashton (Northampton), M Tuilagi (Leicester), M Tindall (Gloucester, capt), M Cueto (Sale); J Wilkinson (Toulon), R Wigglesworth (Saracens); A Sheridan (Sale), S Thompson (Wasps) D Cole (Leicester), L Deacon (Leicester), C Lawes (Northampton), T Croft (Leicester), J Haskell (Black Rams), N Easter (Harlequins).

Replacements: D Hartley (Northampton), M Stevens (Saracens), S Shaw (unattached), T Wood (Northampton), J Simpson (Wasps), T Flood (Leicester), D Armitage (London Irish).