England place faith in Wilkinson

After much speculation, Jonny Wilkinson has been named ahead of Toby Flood as starting fly half for England's Pool B opener against Argentina at Otago Stadium on Saturday.
It is the Toulon back's fourth World Cup and, with 16 RWC caps, makes him the most experienced player at Rugby World Cup 2011.

"Both Toby and Jonny are in great form, and it's great to have two No.10s who can step up and start for us," England manager Martin Johnson told a press conference at the team hotel on Thursday.

"The decision was made with the same rationale as any other - what we think is the right way round to win this game.

"It's one of the great things about all the guys that we don't have a great drop-off in any position. Jonny's got his nose in front for this game, but that may change next week."
Delon Armitage follows up his try in the warm-up match against Ireland last month by starting his first World Cup match on the left wing ahead of Mark Cueto.

Northampton's Chris Ashton will patrol the opposite touchline.

Playing well

Johnson said that Cueto, who had a try ruled out in the World Cup final defeat by South Africa in 2007, could have played "in an emergency" but would be rested for another week as he comes back from injury.

"The good thing for us is that Delon's playing very well and he can play at 15 or on the wing," said Johnson.

"When you've got a guy who isn't quite right and a guy who’s in great form, it's a pretty simple decision."

Armitage said he would have liked the No.15 shirt, taken for this game by Ben Foden, but that he was delighted to be in the team.

"I don't think it's actually sunk in yet," he said at the hotel. "I would have preferred to be full back but just to be in that XV is a dream come true.

"The manager spoke to me on Tuesday and said I was in because of how I was playing in the warm-ups. I'm just really chuffed and can't wait to start.”

Back from surgery

Johnson named Richard Wigglesworth as scrum half, with first-choice Ben Youngs on the bench. Youngs is coming back from keyhole surgery on his knee.

Ten players make their tournament debut.

Samoan-born 20-year-old Manu Tuilagi, who also scored a try against Ireland in Dublin last month, wins his second cap at outside centre.

Fellow centre Mike Tindall captains the side in the absence of Lewis Moody, who is replaced in the openside flanker position by James Haskell.

At hooker, Steve Thompson, a World Cup winner alongside Wilkinson, Tindall and Johnson in 2003, is preferred to Dylan Hartley.

Really excited

Andrew Sheridan is one of three survivors from the starting line-up for the final in 2007, with Wilkinson and number 8 Nick Easter.

Sheridan said there was no need to pass on advice to the players making their World Cup debuts.

“The young guys coming through are really excited and it shows in training, but us older players are pretty excited too. You don't really get bored of World Cups," he said.

"They are pretty confident guys so there's not always a lot to say. You just get on with your own game and we'll be judged by what we do on the pitch."