With 11 days to go before he publishes a revised England squad for next month’s internationals, Martin Johnson is confident there will be no post-Lions effect on his leading players. Where the form of leading Welsh and Irish teams has suggested a knock-on from the demanding summer tour to South Africa, Johnson believes his Lions are coping.

“Those Lions Tests were probably the biggest of the year, worldwide,” the England team manager told an RFU podcast yesterday. “But you have to deal with that. I’m confident our guys will be up for the games in the autumn. I think it’s as much a mental issue as a physical one. There’s also the question of how we [England] are looking to play, not just guys playing well for their clubs.”

He welcomed the emergence of so many young England-qualified players, citing the rise last season of Danny Care, the Harlequins scrum half who was given the chance to play regularly in the Guinness Premiership.

“We want to see these guys given the opportunity, and for them to take it,” Johnson said. “They have to be good enough, dedicated enough to play week in, week out in the Premiership. To do that, and then play in Europe, you have to be well conditioned and mentally pretty tough.”

One of those youngsters, Courtney Lawes, plays in an unchanged Northampton team away to Perpignan tonight as the Midlands club attempt to build on Saturday’s Heineken Cup success against Munster.

Dylan Hartley, the Northampton captain, is unambiguous in his ambitions. “We want to win the Heineken Cup,” he said. “We’re new to the competition as a squad. I believe that will help us and we will have no fear. We have an awesome team spirit, great strength in depth and a good balance of youth and experience.”

Gloucester, who play Biarritz tomorrow, have re-signed their former captain, Jake Boer, on a short-term contract while so many of their back-row forwards are unavailable.