Martin Johnson is travelling some well-trodden paths in his first series as England team manager, not least verbally. National teams always regard unfortunate injuries as an opportunity for others - look how well England's footballers proved that in Berlin this week - so the return at loose-head prop against South Africa today of Tim Payne will have Johnson scrutinising the front row eagerly.

“We haven't scrummaged well in the first two games [against the Pacific Islanders and Australia] and we have to put that right, so I'm looking forward to seeing how Tim plays,” Johnson said yesterday. “Andrew Sheridan is our first-choice loose-head prop but now Tim has the opportunity to keep the jersey. Look what happened when injuries gave Ugo Monye and Delon Armitage their chance this month, they stepped up.”

Johnson also encountered the question that his predecessors have faced, over players who train with individuals outside the England hierarchy, as Danny Cipriani does in working on his goal-kicking with Dave Alred. England have a kicking specialist in Jonathan Callard, the former Bath and England full back, but Cipriani works with Alred outside England sessions, just as Jonny Wilkinson did - and does.

A clutch of London-based players, Cipriani among them, work with Margot Wells on speed training, at their own expense, and Johnson has no issue with this. “It won't be long before players have what amounts to their own personal trainers,” he said. “It's up to Danny how he handles that, to a degree. He's 21 years old, he has to learn how to deal with things.

“With us, he's treated the same as any other player. We don't want to curb players, stop them doing the things that have earned them selection. Danny Care running a penalty against Australia was fine, then he hit Stirling Mortlock on the head with his pass, the ball went loose and they end up in our 22. It's about precision, and you're talking very fine lines.”

The IRB will reveal tomorrow its player of the year to follow Bryan Habana, the South Africa wing, from 2007. Shane Williams, the Wales wing, is a leading candidate along with his countryman Ryan Jones, Mike Blair, of Scotland, Dan Carter, of New Zealand, and Sergio Parisse, of Italy. In the junior player awards, Joe Simpson, the London Wasps scrum half, is in contention.