No return to England team for captain Vickery
England World Cup captain Phil Vickery has failed to reclaim a place in the starting line-up for Friday night's tournament eliminator against Tonga at Parc des Princes.
Wasps prop Vickery is available again after serving a two-match suspension for tripping United States centre Paul Emerick during England's Pool A opener.
But head coach Brian Ashton has decided to retain Bath's Matt Stevens at tight-head, with flanker Martin Corry remaining as skipper.
Ashton named Vickery as his World Cup leader way ahead of the tournament starting, but Stevens' and Corry's performances, especially against Samoa three days ago, mean they keep their respective roles.
Vickery has to be content with a place on the bench, where he will be joined by fellow World Cup winner Lawrence Dallaglio.
Ashton has made two changes from the side that accounted for Samoa 44-22, a victory that kept England in the hunt for a quarter-final place.
Bath lock Steve Borthwick replaces Simon Shaw to form a second-row partnership with Ben Kay, while Leicester flanker Lewis Moody is handed the number seven shirt instead of Joe Worsley.
Dallaglio, who has not featured for England since the USA encounter, again fails to dislodge Harlequins number eight Nick Easter, although he is likely to have a part to play off the bench.
Ashton, meanwhile, has resisted any temptation to tinker with a back division boosted by Jonny Wilkinson's return from injury in the Samoa clash.
Newcastle centre Mathew Tait was thought to be under pressure for his place from Leicester's Dan Hipkiss, but Tait is retained alongside midfield colleague Olly Barkley.
England go into the Tonga game level on points with the Pacific islanders.
Their World Cup hopes will stand or fall on what happens against a side they trounced 101-10 during the 1999 World Cup.
Victory would send England into a quarter-final appointment with Australia in Marseille on October 6, but defeat guarantees an embarrassing early exit.
No reigning rugby world champion has failed to progress beyond the pool stage, yet that would be the dubious distinction collected by England if Tonga cause one of the great World Cup upsets.
England team to play Tonga in World Cup Pool A at Parc des Princes on Friday night:
J Lewsey (Wasps); P Sackey (Wasps), M Tait (Newcastle), O Barkley (Bath), M Cueto (Sale Sharks); J Wilkinson (Newcastle), A Gomarsall (Harlequins); A Sheridan (Sale Sharks), G Chuter (Leicester), M Stevens (Bath), S Borthwick (Bath), B Kay (Leicester), M Corry (Leicester, capt), L Moody (Leicester), N Easter (Harlequins).
Replacements: L Mears (Bath), P Vickery (Wasps), L Dallaglio (Wasps), J Worsley (Wasps), P Richards (London Irish), A Farrell (Saracens), D Hipkiss (Leicester).
