ENGLAND v SAMOA:MARTIN JOHNSON has warned his England players ahead of the clash with Samoa at Twickenham today (2.30pm) that their heroics against Australia last week could easily be forgotten in today's "instant society".
England will be carried into the game on a wave of a public euphoria following their record 35-18 victory over the Wallabies, which lifted them to fourth in the world rankings.
The identity of Johnson’s England – both in terms of personnel and style of play – is finally beginning to take shape and the future looks much brighter. But Johnson has spent all week trying to play down the notion that England have finally achieved their breakthrough victory.
“We are completely aware of what it can do to a team if you get ahead of yourselves,” said Johnson. “The world is so volatile. Some of the stuff I’ve had to deal with this week . . . we’ve won a game and played well but it’s one game. Calm down. We have to back it up.”
Johnson has made four changes from the Australia game, handing flanker Hendre Fourie his first Test start and Matt Banahan a chance at outside centre. Bath prop David Wilson has come in for Dan Cole while James Haskell will get his first run of the autumn at blindside flanker.
“Samoa are perfectly capable of coming to Twickenham and winning a Test match,” added Johnson. “They could have won last week in Dublin. They are very, very dangerous.”
Samoa are unchanged from their narrow loss in Dublin.
ENGLAND: B Foden (Northampton); C Ashton (Northampton), M Banahan (Bath), S Hape (Bath), M Cueto (Sale); T Flood (Leicester), B Youngs (Leicester); A Sheridan (Sale), D Hartley (Northampton), D Wilson (Bath), C Lawes (Northampton), T Palmer (Stade Francais), J Haskell (Stade Francais), H Fourie (Leeds), N Easter (Harlequins). Replacements: S Thompson (Leeds), D Cole (Leicester), D Attwood (Gloucester), T Croft (Leicester), D Care (Harlequins), C Hodgson (Sale), D Armitage (London Irish).
SAMOA: P Williams; D Lemi, G Pisi, S Mapusua, A Tuilagi; T Lavea, K Fotualii; S Taulafo, M Schwalger, A Perenise, F Levi, K Thompson, O Trevarinus, M Salavea, G Stowers. Replacements: T Paulo, C Johnson, I Tekori, A Aiono, J Polu, J Helleur, G Williams.
Referee: Peter Fitzgibbon(Ireland).
