Without the likes of Delon Armitage, Martin Johnson’s men managed just one try in three Tests in November and they suffered a further blow when centre Riki Flutey was ruled out on Friday because of a thigh injury.

But with Mathew Tait and Toby Flood picked as a centre combination over some of England’s heavy midfield hitters, Gatland believes the Red Rose contingent will be sent out with instructions to entertain.

He said: “Martin has been hit by limited choices because of a number of injuries.

“Martin's been in the role for a while. He’s been hit by limited choices because of a number of injuries.

“But he has a strong squad to pick from this time and it looks like he's chosen an attacking side or a side that has the ability to attack.

"Because he's been in the post for a while, he'll be looking to start moving his game on and developing England's rugby.”