Back tells Fourie to stick to the basics on first start for England

The openside flanker replaces Lewis Moody at Twickenham on Saturday with Martin Johnson deciding to give his captain the week off, No 8 Nick Easter taking over the armband.

It is one of four changes to the side which memorably defeated Australia last weekend as the team manager opts to stick largely with those combinations which stunned the Wallabies.

Matt Banahan, who won his previous five caps on the wing, has been preferred to Delon Armitage as Mike Tindall's outside centre replacement.

Blindside flanker James Haskell, who has not featured yet this autumn, and tight-head prop David Wilson both start, Tom Croft and Dan Cole are moved to the bench where lock David Atwood is recalled for England's first meeting with Samoa since the 2007 Rugby World Cup.

Fourie, who briefly came off the bench against Australia after debuting a week earlier versus New Zealand, is given the opportunity to show his talent from the off and his Leeds coach wants the rugged South African-born forward to stay loyal to his principles.

"The danger is, when playing a game like this, you try and do something that isn't the reason you got there in the first place," said Back.

"What Hendre has to do is concentrate on the absolute basics that have got him his first England start.

"He's with a group of players now that will have tremendous belief from the performance against Australia – two wins on the bounce against them away and home is fantastic – and they need to build on that.

"Hopefully, he'll just go out there and do what he's done consistently well for the last two years with Leeds Carnegie."

Back, who won the World Cup as England's openside in 2003, added: "I'm absolutely thrilled for Hendre. He's been a model professional ever since I worked with him and very self-aware of where he needed to improve.

"I thought he was a prop the first time I saw him but he's worked hard particularly on his ability to play for 80 minutes and to do other things than hit people hard.

"He's got a passing game too now and it's a great statement about how a player can develop within the Leeds Carnegie environment."

Club team-mate Steve Thompson retains his place on the England bench despite a plea from the Yorkshiremen to release the experienced hooker for Saturday's crucial Premiership trip to Exeter.

Leeds have a headache given the injury to fellow hooker Andy Titterrell but Back said: "We always knew, taking on Tommo, that potentially he'd be out through this autumn phase.

"That's where he is. Yes, we've asked the question. You have to ask – if you don't ask, you never get.

"But we absolutely understand where England are on the balance of their squad and building through to the World Cup next year.

"They need to have the best players involved in the team and that's what Steve Thompson is. We support that."

Leeds have identified three potential short-term signings and hope to have one secured in time for their visit to Harlequins a week Sunday.

In the meantime, they will continue with their strength and conditioning coach James Parkes, the 30-year-old who came out of retirement to face Sale in the LV Cup last weekend.

Meanwhile, Johnson's biggest call this week was outside centre.

Armitage provided cover in back-to-back wins over the Wallabies but England's attack coach Brian Smith has long identified the physical Banahan, already a lock-turned-wing, as a potential Test-class outside centre.

Johnson feels people may "under-estimate" his skills in an all-Bath midfield partnership with ex-Bradford Bulls ace Shontayne Hape, something his side will not do with regard Samoa.

"It's about picking the best team to play this week against Samoa," he said.

"They are a very dangerous side and could have won against Ireland at the weekend.

"They have certainly got our full attention."

England: B Foden (Northampton); C Ashton (Northampton), M Banahan (Bath), S Hape (Bath), M Cueto (Sale); T Flood (Leicester), B Youngs (Leicester); A Sheridan (Sale), D Hartley (Northampton), D Wilson (Bath), C Lawes (Northampton), T Palmer (Stade Francais), J Haskell (Stade Francais), H Fourie (Leeds), N Easter (Harlequins, capt).

Replacements: S Thompson (Leeds), D Cole (Leicester), D Attwood (Gloucester), T Croft (Leicester), D Care (Harlequins), C Hodgson (Sale), D Armitage (London Irish).