Mark Cueto looks likely to be named today on the left wing in the England team to play South Africa in the World Cup final at the Stade de France on Saturday.

Cueto was training yesterday in the position that had been filled by Josh Lewsey before the London Wasps player pulled a hamstring shortly before half-time during the semi-final against France last weekend. If Brian Ashton, the head coach, does include Cueto, he will be picking a man who will not have played for three weeks, since England’s last match in the pool stage against Tonga, and whose form has been inconsistent.

When Jason Robinson returned from injury for the quarter-final against Australia, Cueto lost his place and he has not been on the replacements’ bench since.

The decision to go with Cueto is a straight wing-for-wing selection. The alternative would have been to have fielded the combination that finished against France last weekend, with Mathew Tait moving from outside centre to the wing and Dan Hipkiss slotting into Tait’s original position.

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The gamble that Ashton is looking to avoid, therefore, is giving a start to the inexperienced Hipkiss in the biggest game of his life. Hipkiss had only two caps to his name before arriving in France for the World Cup and he has not started a match here.

However, Hipkiss may feel hard done by because he has made three appearances from the replacements’ bench and has looked confident — never more so than during a full half against France on Saturday, when his strong running and ability to stay on his feet and offload out of the tackle appeared to offer a dimension that Tait had not brought to the game.

Cueto is the more experienced man and in the past two years has been England’s most reliable finisher. However, his form this year has been inconsistent and has not been helped by injuries. At first, Ashton viewed him no longer as a wing but primarily as the answer to the thorny problem at full back, with Robinson playing as an out-and-out wing.

That experiment was shelved after England’s first World Cup match here, against the United States in Lens. Robinson and Lewsey were subsequently viewed as the first and second-choice full backs and Cueto was left to fight for and lose his place out wide.

However, Ashton appears to be backing experience for the big occasion. On Sunday, when he was asked about changes and replacements to the semi-final team, he said that he had faith in his entire squad.

In his return to the team, Cueto, at least, will not be facing the notorious attacking talents of Bryan Habana, the in-form South Africa wing. That honour will go to Paul Sackey, who was moved to the other wing when England played South Africa in the pool stage primarily, it seemed, so that Lewsey could have the job of shackling Habana.

Sackey has that role now, although there has been plenty of evidence in the past few weeks that his perceived defensive weaknesses have been largely ironed out.

Rob Andrew, the RFU’s elite performance director, said yesterday that he was astonished by England’s achievements in the past month. “The whole world is talking about how remarkable England’s performances on the pitch have been,” he said. “The entire nation is gripped by rugby fever and it seems now that everyone has an opinion on the team or selection or has had a go at predicting the outcomes.”

The last question about the make-up of the England team will be answered at 1.45pm today, when Ashton announces his team. Expect no other changes but a new, experienced face on the left wing.