Dawn of New Era Brings Fresh Problems for England's Novice Manager

At long last England have caught up with the neighbors. Had someone at Twickenham been more proactive in the mid 90s it would have happened years ago but, finally, the Rugby Football Union has the best players in the country under some degree of lock and key. Central control, more training time and, for better or worse, a tighter regime await. If Auckland police were not still probing the murky off-field events of last month, it might almost qualify among the brighter new dawns in the professional era.

It is certainly a significant moment for Martin Johnson, who did not imagine even nine months ago that Test rugby would reclaim him so soon. Already he finds himself a potential hostage to fortune, having announced a 32-man senior squad to prepare for an autumn series barely visible through the summer heat haze. He can make a handful of alterations in the New Year but, essentially, these are the men he must trust to lead English rugby out of the Pony Club and back to respectability. We can safely assume the stables will receive a good mucking out and the players, initially at least, can expect more stick than carrot.

It is already clear that anyone possessing the legendary Leicester work ethic has a decent future. Many of the big winners in Johnson's inaugural squad call Welford Road home, with George Chuter, Jordan Crane, Lewis Moody, Tom Varndell and Dan Hipkiss all included in the senior party. There is an overdue recall, too, for Josh Lewsey, as well as some glaring absentees. Mike Tindall, Ben Kay, Nick Easter and Joe Worsley would all have hoped for better than a place in the shadow Saxons squad, as would David Strettle and Topsy Ojo.

Instead the favoured wingers behind Paul Sackey are Varndell and James Simpson-Daniel, with Jamie Noon, Hipkiss, Mathew Tait, Olly Barkley, Toby Flood and Shane Geraghty jostling in midfield with the ex-Wellington Hurricane Riki Flutey. Flutey has been a key cog in the successful Wasps midfield and will be given every chance to do the same for England. There is no sign, however, of Charlie Hodgson, Lesley Vainikolo or Iain Balshaw, who all appear to have plummeted out of favor.

The likes of Ben Foden and Miles Benjamin will surely be knocking on the door soon, along with Danny Cipriani who has been named in the Saxons squad pending his recovery from a broken ankle, but Johnson has other more immediate issues on his plate. A couple of us shared a hotel lift with one of England's starting XV barely 24 hours before the second Test against New Zealand in Christchurch. We asked him how he was feeling. "I don't think I've ever been as bored," came the reply. Even taking into account end-of-season weariness it was a damning remark. If England's players cannot wait for a 20-day tour to end, how are they going to cope with being closeted with many of the same coaches for month after month? When another player was told that England's first get-together would be on August 10, just a few weeks hence, he started muttering about razor blades and suicide notes.

One of Johnson's first priorities, therefore, must be to strike the right balance. It matters not who the new supremo picks if the players are bored rigid by day three. If the squad is not overly thrilled, or impressed, with the standard of day-to-day coaching it will show soon enough. Say what you like about Sir Clive Woodward but his players never knew what was coming next. Less can be more when it comes to training and the opportunity to rest weary bones is the key component of the new deal.

Luck also plays a part. Judging by recent history, at least eight of the 32 will be unfit by the start of November and Sod's Law dictates that at least half a dozen will be playing appreciably worse than direct rivals roused by their omission from the inner circle. This could swiftly become an issue as England need at least a couple of decent results this autumn if they wish to break into the top four of the IRB world rankings and avoid a perilous pool at the 2011 World Cup.

The management dynamics will also be fascinating. When it comes to selecting midfield backs, will Johnson bow meekly to the superior knowledge of, say, Brian Smith? Will Smith's views chime with those of Rob Andrew and/or John Wells? And will Johnson's no-nonsense attitude prove as easily transferable as it was when he led from the front? "People who talk rugby tactics are often talking to make themselves sound clever," he growled in his autobiography. His preference, clearly, will be for individuals who do not need to be repeatedly reminded of their role.

In theory England should be happier, healthier, stronger, fresher and more united by November. Johnson, however, does not have a magic wand or a crystal ball. Half of this squad may struggle to make the top 32 in 12 months' time. Consistency of selection is always important but it is not always possible; only Andy Sheridan remained from the World Cup final starting XV when England trotted out at Eden Park last month. No one commands respect quite like Johnson but there are some hard yards to be negotiated from the outset.

England senior EPS squad

Backs: M Tait (Sale Sharks), J Lewsey (Wasps), P Sackey (Wasps), J Simpson-Daniel (Gloucester), T Varndell (Leicester), D Hipkiss (Leicester), J Noon (Newcastle), R Flutey (Wasps), O Barkley (Gloucester), T Flood (Leicester), S Geraghty (London Irish), J Wilkinson (Newcastle), D Care (Harlequins), H Ellis (Leicester), P Richards (London Irish). Forwards: G Chuter (Leicester), D Hartley (Northampton), L Mears (Bath), T Payne (Wasps), A Sheridan (Sale), M Stevens (Bath), P Vickery (Wasps), S Borthwick (Bath), N Kennedy (London Irish), T Palmer (Wasps), S Shaw (Wasps), T Croft (Leicester), J Haskell (Wasps), L Moody (Leicester), T Rees (Wasps), J Crane (Leicester), L Narraway (Gloucester).