Lancaster Makes Seven Changes Ahead of Final Test

England Head Coach Stuart Lancaster has made an enormous seven changes to the side that lost 28-27 in Dunedin last Saturday, with Manu Tuilagi and the mid-field at the heart of the discussion once again.

As predicted, England have overhauled the look of their entire backline for the final Test Match in Hamilton with Kyle Eastmond and Manu Tuilagi reunited in the centres.

After just one match the experiment of using Tuilagi on the wing has been abandoned, although Lancaster insists that it may well be revisited in the future.

Young rugby league convert Kyle Eastmond, who lit up Eden Park alongside Manu in the first Test with a number of sparkling breaks, returns to the side as a part of that original combination.

Therefore, the Billy Twelvetrees and Luther Burrell partnership that flourished throughout the RBS 6 Nations has been disbanded following the 28-27 defeat in Dunedin that completed a series triumph for the All Blacks.

Burrell is moved over to the bench with Twelvetrees missing out on the match day squad altogether, after an erratic display at the Forsyth Barr Stadium with Lancaster admitting it was a "big step" for him to play his first match since May 3 in that game.

Fitness was an issue for Twelvetrees having been sidelined by an ankle injury for six weeks, and while he will be given another chance at a later date, there is a sense that England are losing patience with the Gloucester playmaker.

"This is a reflection of us feeling that the centre partnership worked better in first Test than in the second," said Lancaster, who has picked Burrell on the bench.

"We are still finding out which players can and can't really deliver at the highest level.

"We've had a good chance to look at Billy during the course of the season.

"Kyle's had one opportunity and he's taken it. Now's the right time to give him a second chance.

"Billy wasn't that far off it at the weekend, but when I look at the two games I thought Kyle edged him."

Elsewhere in the backs, to accommodate Tuilagi’s move to the centres once more, revitalised Saracens’ flyer Chris Ashton makes his first England start since the autumn, preferred to Gloucester’s Jonny May.

Furthermore, news of Owen Farrell’s injury woes struck the camp early this week after the young fly-half had reportedly strained his knee in last Saturday’s second Test.

The tour-ending knee problem means that Freddie Burns, another standout player at Eden Park, starts at fly-half with Ben Youngs holding off a strong challenge from Lee Dickson in the absence of shoulder-injury victim Danny Care.

"Freddie played well in the first Test and the challenge for him is to back that up with a comparable performance," Lancaster said.

Following a fine display in Tuesday's 38-7 victory over the Crusaders, Danny Cipriani has been chosen ahead of Stephen Myler to provide specialist cover at 10.

Lancaster admits he made the decision on the strength of Cipriani's game management at Christchurch's AMI Stadium as the once-troubled Sale playmaker continues his climb back up the pecking order.

"I was really pleased with Danny's 45 minutes against the Crusaders," said Lancaster, who admitted Myler had been a victim of the fixture congestion that marred preparations for the first Test.

"I needed to see Danny start and needed to see whether he could control and run a game as well as do the other bits and pieces. I thought he did that really well.

"The decision to pick Danny was only made after the game. I wanted to have a chance to sleep on it and look at it overnight."

Youngs was disappointing in the first Test, but Lancaster has been pleased with the half-back generalship he has displayed while Care has sat out training.

"I get the sense that Ben is approaching the player who played in November 2012 - he's shown that sort of character so that's why we're starting with him," Lancaster said.

Away from the raft of changes in the back division we come to the forwards, where there are a further three changes to last week’s starting side.

Northampton Captain Dylan Hartley returns to the side in place of Rob Webber, lock Courtney Lawes makes a direct swap for Joe Launchbury and Billy Vunipola is chosen ahead of Ben Morgan at number eight.

Geoff Parling continues in the second row with Lancaster describing him as England's "outstanding forward" in the series so far, whilst Morgan, who was not quite as impressive in the second Test, makes way for young Vunipola.

One man though who has been strong throughout, at the epicentre of all of England’s action is Captain Chris Robshaw.

The inspirational leader has demanded England's players seize the final opportunity to write their names in the nation's history books by toppling New Zealand on Saturday.

Although series glory may be beyond reach having lost their first two games, the tourists have Saturday’s final Test to salvage some pride and take some momentum into the home World Cup next year.

Only two previous England teams have triumphed in New Zealand - in 1973 and 2003 - and Robshaw knows this is the last chance most of the current squad will have to join their illustrious ranks.

"The guys are fully aware of what's at stake," the Red Rose captain said.

"A lot of us probably won't get the opportunity to come here again as a touring party.

"It's a long time away until England come here next (2019 at the earliest), so for us to come here and do something it's now or never.

"Only two English teams have ever come here and won so we've still got an opportunity to do something special.

"The mentality we are taking into this game is that we want to leave this country achieving something and we've got a chance to do that on Saturday.

"You never like to lose, let alone two on the bounce to the same opposition.

"We've got nothing to lose. We've very much got that backs-against-the-wall feeling, that desperation that we want to grab the win."