Martin Johnson's second autumn team announcement is more significant than his first. Against the Pacific Islanders he could afford to take the odd punt and explore some theories which, by and large, came good. The Wallabies are a different matter. Choosing not to put out his optimum side would risk the aghast, jaw-dropping reaction of the classic H M Bateman cartoons: The England Manager Who Failed To Select His Best Team Against Australia.

So now we know, for example, that the England management rate Tom Croft very highly indeed, to the point where even a relatively quiet game the previous week is not held against him. James Haskell remains on the bench which, one suspects, will guarantee a storming entry from the Wasps' forward when he is finally given a chance. Maybe that's the whole idea: these Wallabies, if nothing else, are fitter than many and are unlikely to fade in the final quarter.

It is interesting, too, that Phil Vickery and Tom Palmer have got the nod over their younger team-mates Matt Stevens and Nick Kennedy respectively. Vickery is now 32 and does not barrel around in the loose these days to the same extent as his 26-year-old rival. What he does do is hit the rucks with consistent power and scrummage with all his heart. More to the point, Vickery was there in 2003 for the World Cup final and also featured at Twickenham in 2005 when the Wallaby scrum was splintered into oblivion. Johnson appears to be going for the jugular which will not come as a total surprise to those who followed his playing career.

The more you look at it, in fact, this is a coldly rational selection. Palmer had a poor Heineken Cup game for Wasps in Leinster but has every incentive to shine if he is to keep ahead of Nick Kennedy and Simon Shaw. Only the most durable of tight forwards, furthermore, can expect to start every one of England's four autumn Tests in successive weeks. Johnson wants fresh, motivated players and the sense that his pack looked a shade lightweight last weekend will have also been a factor. There is not much point picking a backline full of dashers if you don't supply them with plenty of clean, swift ball.

There is also another crucial consideration. Johnson is a thoroughly modern manager in the sense he wants a bench who can make a real impact rather than simply fill a hole. Australia, in many ways, are in a similar position to England: new management, decent backs, looking to re-establish themselves. In terms of depth, however, they cannot match the potential electrical surge offered by Dylan Hartley, Stevens, Shaw, Haskell and Harry Ellis.

This will also be a fascinating test of Danny Cipriani's credentials as a fully-rounded Test fly-half. He is still looking for top gear after his serious ankle injury while Matt Giteau is up there with the best contemporary No10s in world rugby. There is a clear sense, even so, that this England team's fulcrum has shifted towards its half-backs. If the 21-year-old Cipriani can lead the Wallabies a merry dance it will truly represent a coming of age.

Home comforts

Poverty is still hard to locate at England's base at Pennyhill Park in Surrey. Since the team were last in residence the builders have been busy, adding more rooftop turrets and expanding the spa facilities. From a distance - and this will only ring a bell with a middle-aged minority - it is slightly reminiscent of the cartoon castles of Noggin the Nog and his splendidly wicked uncle Nogbad the Bad. The prices are entertaining too. One prominent member of the Rugby Football Union told me the other day that he'd ordered a prawn cocktail and been charged £19. It must have been a big prawn.

Poultry in motion

To London Welsh on Sunday lunchtime for an expertly-run mini-rugby festival. The future looks in pretty safe hands, particularly as one of the watching parents was none other than the supreme Michael Lynagh, the former Wallaby fly-half. But is the pursuit of excellence getting out of hand? A friend's teenage son came home from school the other day and revealed his latest protein-laden training secret. "Don't worry, Dad, I'm drinking three chickens a day." It makes you nostalgic for the days when a balanced diet was a packet of Wheat Crunchies and a pint of Toby in both hands.