England have received a timely double boost with Jonny Wilkinson and Olly Barkley both returning to the starting line-up to face Samoa in Nantes next Saturday.

Wilkinson, the Newcastle fly half, will make his first start of the tournament after an ankle ligament problem ruled him out of the games with USA and South Africa. Barkley, who missed the Springboks game due to a hip problem, is also back, lining up at inside centre instead of Andy Farrell, who drops to the bench.

As expected, Brian Ashton, the England head coach, has made sweeping changes following his team’s record 36-0 World Cup loss to South Africa. Jason Robinson, Mike Catt, Shaun Perry and Tom Rees all fail to make the 22, while Jamie Noon has returned home for further treatment on a tournament-ending knee injury.

Lawrence Dallaglio has also failed to force his way in, with Ashton retaining Nick Easter, the Harlequins number eight, in the back row alongside Martin Corry, the captain, and Wasps’ Joe Worsley. Elsewhere in the pack, George Chuter, the Leicester hooker, is preferred to Mark Regan for his World Cup debut.