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Marcus Smith has been picked at No 10 but, remarkably, that is not the stand-out element of this team selection. Manu Tuilagi on the wing is an out-of-the-blue shock.
It has only happened once before, against the All Blacks in Dunedin back in 2014. On that occasion, the-then Leicester centre broke clear down the right flank and appeared destined to score a try, but he couldn't sustain the pace required to beat the covering defence.
Stuart Lancaster never repeated the experiment. Tuilagi was a specialist midfield asset before and – in between all the injury setbacks along the way – he has stayed in his familiar territory ever since. So seeing him line up wide on the right against Australia will be a novelty.
Manu Tuilagi (centre) has been picked to play on the wing for England against Australia
It is a big call by Eddie Jones but his selection for Saturday's game is positive and aggressive
Pity the poor Wallaby winger who has to stand in his path. The decision by Eddie Jones to redeploy his Anglo-Samoan wrecking-ball runner is a reflection of the fitness strides he has made since the end of last season. Tuilagi is looking lean – relatively, for his frame – and sharp.
This is the up-shot of his weight-loss pact with fellow Sale centre, Rohan Janse van Rensburg. In the aftermath of the Sharks' Premiership semi-final defeat against Exeter last season, the South African told his partner that they both needed to lose some bulk, to achieve greater stamina and more regular impacts during a game.
Tuilagi has shed around 5kg and the result has been an ability to play full games, as he has done twice for Sale this season. It has also made him more explosive than he has been since his early days in the England team, as a tear-away rookie.
Speaking to Sportsmail last week, he said: 'It's made a massive difference. I'm able to play for 80 minutes and get through it. Before, I'd get to 50 or 60 minutes and start feeling it. It's a long time to be carrying around that six or seven extra kgs, when I don't really need it, I don't think. I want to get involved
