The Bath flanker has played fewer than five full matches since initially injuring his knee in a Heineken Cup match in January, which ruled him out of the Six Nations.

But he has finally been given clearance to start by the England medics and returns in place of James Haskell at openside flanker, with Tom Wood to make his World Cup debut on the blindside as Tom Croft drops to the bench.

Matt Stevens, a tighthead prop by preference, has been pressed into action at loosehead while Dylan Hartley takes over from Steve Thompson at hooker.

Simon Shaw and Tom Palmer form a new second-row partnership, taking over from Louis Deacon and the suspended Courtney Lawes.

Number eight Nick Easter and tighthead prop Dan Cole are the only survivors in the pack from England’s 13-9 victory over Argentina.

England have reunited their Six Nations title-winning half-back combination of Ben Youngs and Toby Flood, while Shontayne Hape takes over from Mike Tindall at inside centre.

The back three of Ben Foden, Delon Armitage and Chris Ashton remains unchanged.

England team to play Georgia in the Rugby World Cup Pool B match at Dunedin's Otago Stadium on Sunday, September 18 (kick-off 7am Irish Time)

B Foden (Northampton Saints); C Ashton (Northampton Saints), M Tuilagi (Leicester Tigers), S Hape (London Irish), D Armitage (London Irish); T Flood (Leicester Tigers), B Youngs (Leicester Tigers); M Stevens (Saracens), D Hartley (Northampton Saints), D Cole (Leicester Tigers), S Shaw (Unattached), T Palmer (Stade Francais), T Wood (Northampton Saints), L Moody (Bath Rugby, capt), N Easter (Harlequins).

Replacements: S Thompson (London Wasps), A Corbisiero (London Irish), T Croft (Leicester Tigers), J Haskell (Ricoh Black Rams), J Simpson (London Wasps), J Wilkinson (Toulon), M Banahan (Bath Rugby).