Enlarge imageBy Mitch Phillips
BAGSHOT, England (Reuters) - Hooker Steve Thompson completed the final stage of his remarkable rugby comeback on Wednesday when he was named in England's starting team to face Australia at Twickenham on Saturday.
Thompson, a World Cup winner in 2003, was forced to retire from the game with a neck injury in 2007 but, after repaying his substantial insurance payout, returned to action with French club Brive.
After a two-minute appearance off the bench against Argentina in June, the 31-year-old will reclaim the starting berth for the first time in more than three years against the Wallabies (2:30 p.m.).
Jonny Wilkinson also returns at flyhalf for his first appearance since the 2008 Six Nations. Wilkinson, who missed most of last season with a dislocated kneecap in the latest of a long line of injuries, has hit full fitness and is in great form for his club Toulon.
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Flanker Lewis Moody is another playing for the first time since 2008 as part of an all-Leicester back row.
A glut of injuries has forced Johnson into a series of new combinations, with a back three of Ugo Monye, Matt Banahan and Mark Cueto, a centre pairing of Shane Geraghty and Dan Hipkiss and Danny Care at scrumhalf inside Wilkinson.
Steve Borthwick retains the captaincy, as well as Johnson's full backing, and is joined in the second row by Louis Deacon.
There are two uncapped players on the bench -- Biarritz and former Wasps centre Ayoola Erinle, who joined the squad only on Monday, and 20-year-old Northampton lock Courtney Lawes.
Only four players survive from the starting team beaten 28-14 by Australia a year ago - Borthwick, Tom Croft, Care and Monye.
With a mass of inexperienced players combining with some returning heads short of international rugby for long periods, England face a huge challenge against a relatively settled Australian team.
"It's an exceptional amount of injuries but we are not going to sit around and sulk about it and it gives opportunities to others," Johnson told a news conference at the team's training base.
"Look at last year when Delon (Armitage) came in from nowhere and did so well. Now he's out and it's a chance for one of the other guys.
"Yes we are without some players but we are also getting back some very experienced players. What is going to be important is the leadership of those older guys and the communication in the team and the squad have improved from last year."
Australia, whose largely second-string side beat Gloucester 36-5 on Tuesday night, will name their team on Thursday and Johnson warned that they are better than recent results suggest.
"They've been in a lot of games when they've been in with a chance to win and haven't so you shouldn't pay too much attention to their win/loss ratio," he said.
"They are a team who are battle hardened, they are well organised and they will have things up their sleeves for us."
(Editing by Justin Palmer)
