Russell needed six stitches in a gruesome wound below his left eye, while Johnson could yet face a disrepute charge if Rugby Football Union disciplinary officer Robert Horner decides there is sufficient evidence to take the matter further.

‘‘Obviously, Robbie is a bit downhearted by it all he didn’t feel that he was given protection by the referee,’’ Wright said.

‘‘The idea that the referee has given Robbie a yellow card as well is ridiculous, because he’s a completely innocent party in all of this.’’

Russell and Johnson were grappling with each other for the ball before things turned nasty during Leicester’s 48-7 Premiership victory over Saracens at Vicarage Road.

But Wright added: ‘‘There was no need for Johnson to turn around and stick a right upper-cut on him.

‘‘I think he’s a very lucky man; I should think he was more than happy with that yellow card at the time.’’

And Wright suggested that the incident proved there was one rule for Leicester and one rule for the rest of the Zurich Premiership.

He added: ‘‘I think Leicester do hold sway with the officials nowadays.

‘‘They were put under an enormous amount of pressure by the Leicester players during the game to make certain decisions, and I just feel that had it been any one of our players, or any other player from another club in the Premiership, committing such an act, the referee would have had no doubt in sending him off.’’

Johnson, meanwhile, will captain England in next Saturday’s Lloyds TSB Six Nations Championship showdown with Ireland.

He leads an England side showing one change from the team that defeated Scotland 29-3 at Murrayfield nine days ago.

Gloucester prop Phil Vickery returns to the starting line-up despite not having playing since January 12 instead of Bristol tighthead Julian White.

Vickery, who had been sidelined by a hand injury, will win his 24th cap, while White even misses out on a bench place.

‘‘I have decided to bring Phil Vickery back into the front-row, now that he has returned from an injured thumb,’’ said England boss Clive Woodward.

‘‘This was a tough decision, particularly as Julian White played so well against the Scots.’’

Woodward has made two switches among the replacements, recalling fit-again Leicester forwards Dorian West and Lewis Moody.

Bath hooker Mark Regan and Tigers back-row man Martin Corry, who wasn’t considered because of an ankle problem, drop out.

Bath centre Mike Tindall and Saracens scrum-half Kyran Bracken have both proved their fitness after sitting out club games on Saturday to rest injury niggles.

Tindall will resume his midfield partnership with Will Greenwood - Mike Catt again fails to make the 22 - and Leicester lock Ben Kay keeps Lions forward Danny Grewcock on bench duty, as he did at Murrayfield.

England are poised to overtake New Zealand at the top of rugby’s official Zurich world rankings if they avenge last October’s Grand Slam-wrecking defeat by Ireland in Dublin.

Ireland, meanwhile, buoyant following a record 54-10 success against hapless Wales, were the last Celtic nation to win at Twickenham, stunning Will Carling and company through a 13-12 victory in 1994.