A Pacific Island bash will test a new-look England before hosting the three giants of Southern Hemisphere rugby. However, Martin Johnson’s first selection has made the multi-million pound agreement between the RFU and the Premiership clubs look flawed.

The purpose of the contract was primarily to keep the clubs from imposing restrictions on the national set-up – but came with the devil’s proviso that the squad be named far beyond the actual playing of test matches.

On the surface it is a brilliant piece of paper. It means that the imperialistic clubs cannot impose draconic restrictions on what are their monetary investments. But it allows Martin Johnson, manager and prime selector of the team, everything that a top-level coach requires - a view of his best team, time to plan and prepare and months of contact with his “elite squad”.

But, while it will be a long wait to see if the Red Rose can again stride the planet in dominance; the loss of someone over a month ago as important as Jonny Wilkinson gives opportunity for new players such as the talented Danny Cipriani (or Mr Celebriani as the Wasps would have you know him) to come to the fore – despite Johnson being very upset at Wilkinson’s injury.

But the loss of England’s premier utility back in Sale three-quarter Matthew Tait is a massive blow, more for the fact that he was being touted as the long-term option for full back – a position in the English backline never adequately filled since the retirement of Jason Robinson. Likewise Luke Narraway, one of the few players to leave the New Zealand tour with his reputation advanced.

This has led to the naming of a young team with four new starting caps, although the team still has a healthy spread of experience, especially in the pack. The evolution of the England Saxons as the central feeder team into the national set-up has helped the promotion of local talent.

Delon Armitage, Ugo Monye, Riki Flutey and Nick Kennedy are the debutants in the England team to start against the Pacific Islanders on Saturday.

Johnson’s said of his first squad: “There are lots of new faces around but there is also some experience. We are happy with the guys we have picked. There are some new caps in there and it is exciting. These guys are bursting to get out on the field. It's important to hit the ground running. It will be very fast and furious in the first 25 minutes and we need to control that as much as we can.”

Big Nick Kennedy partners new captain Steve Borthwick in the second row after a sound season with London Irish, ahead of Wasps locks Tom Palmer and Simon Shaw. This forms a solid tight five with the Bath combination of Matt Stevens and Lee Mears combining with the formidable presence of Sale's Andrew Sheridan. Former captain Phil Vickery will be on the bench.

Armitage and Monye will start as new caps at fullback and wing, with the latter being in scintillating form for Harlequins. They will combine with Paul Sackey, with the Wasps flyer being England’s premier wing and leading try-scorer since last year.

In the midfield, Jamie Noon represents the most capped back in the England team and combines with Flutey, who will debut at inside centre. The former Hurricanes, NZ Maori and Junior All Black representative has qualified on residency grounds and the 28-year-old has been a revelation in the last 12 months. He was instrumental in Wasps' late attack on the Guinness Premiership last season and ended up playing at fly-half in the final after Cipriani suffered a gruesome ankle injury.

Celebriani is the young England prodigy who spends as much time in the spotlight off the field as on it, but offers so much attacking promise that his Wasps combination with Flutey could well be the genesis of a new all-attacking England.

He will combine with young Harlequins scrum-half Danny Care, who has risen to prominence after a solid tour of New Zealand and an outstanding recent six months in the Premiership. It is clear that grizzled veteran Johnson is looking to the future, but it is interesting to note the difference between him and his former coach Clive Woodward.

Johnson has signalled - like Woodward - the all-consuming importance of winning, based on the motivation of hoisting trophies rather than playing attractive football. It is likely that he will focus on a forwards-focused game, much like the style that carried Johnson’s England to World Cup success.

So far one could say the parallels are more than coincidence, as Johnson’s five new caps in his first 22 are the same as Woodwards five new caps in his first team that played Australia in 1997. Even more canny was the selection of Woodward’s three new starting caps in the backline, a full back, a centre and a wing – just like Johnson. However, a total of 53 caps in Johnson’s new backline pales in comparisons with Woodward’s 64.

But Johnson has shown immediately that he will not select players based on experience. While Brian Smith, England’s attack coach, may have plotted with Johnson to create a new breed of attacking backline genius, it will count for little should England’s forwards not lay the clichéd platform for rugby dominance.

With Robbie Deans' Wallabies, the world champion Springboks and the No.1-ranked All Blacks on their way to Twickenham's door, we shall know a lot more about Johnson's England before the year's end.