The Guardian's Rob Kitson is one of those surprised by England manager Martin Johnson's decision to leave fly-half Jonny Wilkinson on the bench for the clash with Australia in Sydney.
"It is so long since England won the 2003 World Cup at Stadium Australia that Jonny Wilkinson says he has forgotten at which end he kicked his life-changing drop-goal. If that sounds bizarre to an Australian audience, his exclusion from Saturday's England starting XV at the same location has similarly baffled the locals.
"There was an obvious horses-for-courses case for fielding Wilkinson at either 10 or 12 but it has been pointedly ignored in favour of a line-up featuring only two changes from the team unable to capitalise on their scrum superiority in Perth. This is a game England dare not lose tamely and the temptation to include Wilkinson for his goal-kicking alone must have been significant."
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