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They say life begins at 40, even for someone like Martin Johnson who has already achieved more than most people do in their full allotted span. The craggy birthday boy was reluctant to dwell on such peripheral issues yesterday – "Ask me on Saturday night and I'll tell you" – but his removal of Lewis Moody from the starting line-up to face Scotland did much of the talking for him. Should England underperform again, the longevity of several other Test careers may well be in jeopardy.That, at least, appears the subtext of a team announcement notable as much for the clutch of thrusting wannabe replacements as a first XV featuring Joe Worsley and Louis Deacon, for Moody and the injured Simon Shaw respectively. By promoting the uncapped Ben Youngs to the bench and inviting the Northampton pair of Courtney Lawes and Ben Foden to make an eye-catching second-half impact, Johnson has put the onus firmly on the incumbents to step on the gas.He could, of course, have gone the whole hog and catapulted the likes of Foden and Youngs straight into the maelstrom of a Calcutta Cup encounter. His failure to do so is not simply a reflection of innate English conservatism, more an acknowledgement that a passionate Murrayfield is not the best place for casual experimentation following a disappointing home loss. |
