Ever since Andy Robinson's scattergun policy towards selection, England have been handicapped by their selectors' inability to choose a preferred starting XV and stick with those players; lost has been the chance for familiarity.
Looking back at the last series of autumn internationals prior to a World Cup in 2006, it can be seen that in that series of four games England selected two different back-threes; two different centre partnerships; four different half-back combinations; three different front rows; three different second-row pairings; and two different back-row combinations.
Ah yes, you may point out, England went on to reach the World Cup final the following year, so that proves nothing. Well yes, it does, because if you look at the team that took the field against South Africa at the Stade de France it contained seven players (Jason Robinson, Mike Catt, Mark Regan, Simon Shaw, Jonny Wilkinson, Andy Gomersall and Nick Easter) who did not even play in the previous autumn tests.
Which shows that at least seven of the autumn selections were wrong and those games were lost in terms of preparation for the side who were eventually to do battle for the Webb Ellis Trophy. How much better would it have been for England to have played something like the RWC final team in an extended run before the tournament?
Martin Johnson and his management team have a chance to end this extended reign of indecision because there is emerging a scintilla of a consensus over what the best XV might be. Johnson now needs to be brave and swallow the hard decisions to allow his players the opportunity to forge extended bonds through the good and the bad; in victory and defeat.
There are tricky conundrums for Johnson all round and, by way of just one example, in selections like what back three will he favour – Mark Cueto, Ben Foden, Delon Armitage, Paul Sackey and in which positions?
Both Armitage and Foden could be full-back or wing; does he stick with the dependable Cueto or go with the less secure but more imaginative options which any of the other three players offer?
He has to decide whether he thinks the astonishingly durable Simon Shaw can still cut it, or whether Tom Palmer is a better option – and does he finally accept that Courtney Lawes is now ready to be a starting player? Perhaps the most difficult poser remains that of which No 10 is best blessed to guide England forward.
In spite of Wilkinson kindly stepping out of the limelight and plying his trade in France, none of his potential successors has made a definitive demand of inclusion. Toby Flood now has more authority in his game because of his time at Leicester, but you would not put your mortgage on him consistently calling the shots correctly for a full game, never mind a full series.
At least in Ben Youngs England have a scrum-half whom they can justifiably pick knowing that to his youth needs only to be added more game-time experience. Moreover, with Danny Care, Joe Simpson and Micky Young all challenging, England have healthy rivalry for the position; would that they had similar difficulties over selection in every position.
At hooker Johnson needs to balance the power and experience of Steve Thomson against the brash promise of Dylan Hartley and so it goes on.
For what it is worth, Johnson could see the following XV as one in which he can have faith and a XV that has every possibility of developing into a good side; one that could challenge at next year's World Cup.
Full-back: Delon Armitage. Wings: Chris Ashton and Ben Foden. Centres: Mike Tindall and Olly Barkley. Fly-half: Jonny Wilkinson. Scrum-half: Ben Youngs. Front row: Andy Sheridan, Steve Thompson, Dan Cole. Second row: Simon Shaw, Courtney Lawes. Back row: Tom Croft, Lewis Moody and Nick Easter.
Within this XV is a decent balance of latent talent and hard-headed experience. What recommends these selections is that that the relatively new and inexperienced players would be given guidance by playing in units alongside very experienced partners.
There are ball carriers in all three forward units and the set-pieces would not be a problem because there is a sufficient bulk allied to knowledge.
All that such a pack would need is to ensure they are led strongly and that after concentrating on the first phase they have only one further ambition – to consistently deliver Youngs a plentiful supply of quick ball from the breakdowns.
Martin Johnson's XV for the autumn internationals
Full-back Delon Armitage
Wings Chris Ashton and Ben Foden
Centres Mike Tindall and Olly Barkley
Fly-half Jonny Wilkinson
Scrum-half Ben Youngs
Front row Andy Sheridan, Steve Thompson and Dan Cole
Second row Simon Shaw and Courtney Lawes
Back row Tom Croft, Lewis Moody and Nick Easter
