Six Nations: Johnson skippers unchanged England team
Martin Johnson will captain an unchanged England team in the Six Nations showdown against France in Paris.
But there are three changes on the replacements' bench including a first senior call-up for former Rugby League star Henry Paul.
He gains a place in England's 22 because Sale fly-half Charlie Hodgson is sidelined with ankle trouble. Paul will cover fly-half Jonny Wilkinson and provide Clive Woodward with goal kicking back-up.
Also on the bench, Leicester flanker Martin Corry takes over from his Tigers team-mate Lewis Moody, who suffered a broken nose playing against Northampton last Saturday and there is a recall for Harlequins wing Dan Luger, who has recovered from a hamstring problem to displace Iain Balshaw.
Regarding Johnson's selection, Woodward said: "If Martin was 100% available, then I was going to pick him. If there was any doubt about his availability, I wasn't, and he agreed with that.
"If the hearing had been this week, then I wouldn't have picked him. I would have picked Danny Grewcock, with Steve Borthwick on the bench.
"Martin is a tough character who has been through a lot, but I have no doubt about his ability to captain the team against France this weekend.
"Test matches are about playing right on the edge and keeping self control. As a squad, we don't get intimidated, and I trust every one of my players to be right on the edge."
Regarding Paul's selection on the bench, Woodward said: "Henry is a big-match player. This has probably come a little bit sooner because of Charlie Hodgson's injury, but it wasn't a very difficult choice to select him once Charlie was injured."
Woodward though, did confirm that Austin Healey would switch to fly-half if Wilkinson was injured on Saturday.
England team to play France in Paris on Saturday in Lloyds TSB Six Nations Championship match:
J Robinson (Sale); A Healey (Leicester), M Tindall (Bath), W Greenwood (Harlequins), B Cohen (Northampton); J Wilkinson (Newcastle), K Bracken (Saracens); G Rowntree (Leicester), S Thompson (Northampton), P Vickery (Gloucester), M Johnson (Leicester, capt), B Kay (Leicester), R Hill (Saracens), N Back (Leicester), J Worsley (Wasps).
Replacements: D West (Leicester), J Leonard (Harlequins), D Grewcock (Bath), M Corry (Leicester), N Duncombe (Harlequins), H Paul (Gloucester), D Luger (Harlequins).
