If the England XV Woodward named today does take the pitch at Subiaco Oval in Perth on Saturday for the most eagerly anticipated pool game of the tournament, it will mean that England have only three personnel changes and one positional change from the side that hammered South Africa 53-3 at Twickenham last November.
The changes see Jason Robinson switch from full-back to wing as Josh Lewsey, of Wasps, has now assumed the mantle of first choice No15. Robinson has the wing position that Phil Christophers held against the Springboks.
Up front Jason Leonard has made way for Trevor Woodman and Lawrence Dallaglio has Lewis Moody's position in the back row. Leonard and Moody are amongst the replacements for Saturday.
Significantly, the England bench does show three changes from the Georgia match. Dorian West takes over from Mark Regan as the replacement hooker, Martin Corry is covering the second row positions after Danny Grewcock broke a toe when a team-mate stood on him in the warm up before the 84-6 win over Georgia, while Bracken's suspect back has improved enough for him to regain a place on the bench with Gomarsall dropping out of the chosen 22.
Woodward was insistent on Monday that "only Matt Dawson is unlikely to be fit" following the leg injury he sustained in England's opening victory on Sunday.
Dawson is a critical figure for England as South Africa scrumhalf Joost van der Westhuizen has returned to his best form and poses a real threat in this match.
Dawson's sniping runs and combative nature will be needed to negate the Springbok No9, who scored a hat-trick in South Africa's 72-6 defeat of Uruguay on Saturday.
ENGLAND XV To face South Africa, Subiaco Oval, Perth, Saturday, 1pm
J Lewsey (London Wasps) J Robinson (Sale) W Greenwood (Harlequins) M Tindall (Bath) B Cohen (Northampton) J Wilkinson (Newcastle) M Dawson (Northampton) T Woodman (Gloucester) S Thompson (Northampton) P Vickery (Gloucester) M Johnson (capt) (Leicester) B Kay (Leicester) R Hill (Saracens) N Back (Leicester) L Dallaglio (London Wasps)
Replacements: D West (Leicester), J Leonard (Quins), P Grayson (Northants), L Moody (Leicester), K Bracken (Saracens), M Corry (Leicester), D Luger (Perpignan).
