Andy Robinson has thrown caution to the wind, dropping six of his established first team as England attempt to salvage some pride against Ireland this weekend.
Battered by Scotland a fortnight ago and humiliated at the hands of the French on Sunday, England are desperate to avoid defeat against an Ireland side chasing the Triple Crown and the coach has opted for wholesale changes.
Six World Cup winners have paid the price, with Robinson choosing Josh Lewsey, Mike Tindall, Matt Dawson, Steve Thompson, Julian White and lock Danny Grewcock as the fall guys. The six players boast more than 300 Test caps between them.
With Sale Sharks fly-half Charlie Hodgson sidelined by a hamstring injury, it means there are seven new faces in the England starting line-up following the Paris debacle. Leicester's Andy Goode takes over from the stricken Hodgson, and will make his first Six Nations star.
In what may be viewed in some quarters as panic, the radical surgery comes in the wake of England's heaviest championship defeat for 20 years.
England (v Ireland): T Voyce (Wasps); M Cueto (Sale), J Noon (Newcastle), S Abbott (Wasps), B Cohen (Northampton); A Goode (Leicester), H Ellis (Leicester); A Sheridan (Sale), L Mears (Bath), M Stevens (Bath), S Borthwick (Bath), S Shaw (Wasps), J Worsley (Wasps), L Moody (Leicester), M Corry (Leicester, capt). Replacements: S Thompson (Northampton), J White (Leicester), D Grewcock (Bath), L Dallaglio (Wasps), M Dawson (Wasps), D Walder (Newcastle), M Tindall (Gloucester).
