Stuart Lancaster rings the changes for battle with Springboks by dropping four players Sharples" demotion looks likely to pave the way for Mike Brown, the Harlequins full-back, to occupy the left wing position. Lancaster employed two full-backs in the back three during the three-Test series against South Africa in June, when Ben Foden was on the wing, in an attempt to counter the Springboks" aerial game and Brown looks best placed to fill that role on Saturday. Jonathan Joseph, back in the squad having recovered from an ankle injury, is another option on the left wing while a more unlikely scenario would be him returning at centre with Manu Tuilagi switching to the wing. It seems more likely that Lancaster will persist with Barritt and Tuilagi, given the physical challenge the Springboks will pose to the English midfield, with Joseph starting on the bench. Lancaster said last night that the changes were designed to "freshen up" the squad after the disappointment of the defeat by Australia. "The changes however give opportunities to those who have been pushing hard and we feel will add energy and balance to the team ahead of the significant South African challenge," Lancaster said. There could yet be a fourth change to the pack, and a fifth overall, with Wasps lock Joe Launchbury thought to be pushing his club team-mate Tom Palmer for a place in the second row. The retention of Saracens lock Mouritz Botha in a 24-man squad suggests that either Palmer or Geoff Parling, who did not train on Monday, is battling to shake off an injury. Wood, who is set to return to the starting line-up for the first time since the victory over Georgia in last year's World Cup in New Zealand, claims England must show no fear by "fronting up physically" for what he predicts will be a "man test" of a confrontation against the Springboks. "They're the type of players that as opposed to running at space, pick out somebody to run at," said Wood, who is set to win his 12th cap on Saturday. [James] Haskell, who has experienced Super 15 rugby, says playing South Africa is like a man test. They look at you, they look for your biggest guy and get theirs to run at him as hard as they can to see who comes out on top. There will be an element of that at the weekend. It's us against them. If you do show any fear and if you do back off to any extent you've got a long day at the office. But if somebody comes charging in, teeth gritted, full of rage, and gets his legs lassoed on the gain line and spills the ball or gets turned over, then that turns to frustration and has a big negative effect on them. Wood says he will be more than happy to lead the charge against the Springboks, who he fears will be more aggressive and physically imposing across the pitch at the breakdown than Australia were last Saturday. "It's going to be a tough physical challenge so we know it's coming well in advance," he added. If we're not prepared for it, we don't meet it head on and don't get out of the blocks, I will be surprised and disappointed to say the least. We are capable of fronting up physically. Eben Etzebeth will be free to play against England after being cleared of eye-gouging at a disciplinary hearing last night. The Springbok lock was found not guilty of foul play after being cited for an incident involving Scotland fly-half Greig Laidlaw last Saturday.