England boss Sir Clive Woodward elevated Wasps prop Tim Payne to Test match status, and declared: "I have every confidence that he will step up to the mark."

Payne, born in Swindon, will start against Australia in Saturday's World Cup final rematch at the Suncorp Stadium to complete a remarkable seven-week chapter of his career.

The 25-year-old played second fiddle behind Wasps' revered former All Blacks prop Craig Dowd until early last month.

But after Dowd suffered a serious Achilles tendon injury, Payne won promotion and started both the Heineken Cup and Zurich Premiership finals when Wasps clinched a European and domestic trophy double.

Payne has now been drafted into the England side after World Cup winner Trevor Woodman failed to recover from a shoulder injury.

Centre Mike Tindall and flanker Richard Hill, though, have both been passed fit after picking up knocks during last weekend's 36-12 defeat against New Zealand.

Payne's promotion is one of two changes from Auckland, with Mike Catt reinstated as Tindall's midfield partner as replacement for shoulder injury victim Stuart Abbott.

Catt, one of four World Cup stars axed following the first Test drubbing by New Zealand in Dunedin, will win his 65th cap.

England are otherwise unchanged as they target their sixth successive victory over Australia since losing the 1999 Centenary Test.

Lock Simon Shaw, sent off after 11 minutes against the All Blacks and then cleared by a three-man disciplinary panel, retains his place in a team that features just five members of England's World Cup final starting XV Tindall, Hill, Josh Lewsey, Ben Cohen and Lawrence Dallaglio.

Payne, whose career included spells with Bristol and Cardiff before he joined Wasps, was not an original England selection to tour Down Under, but travelled because of an injury concern surrounding Bath's David Flatman.

Payne would have given himself little chance of winning a cap when he left England three weeks ago.

But injuries to Woodman and Matt Stevens, who damaged knee ligaments during the All Blacks series, have now given the loosehead his big opportunity.