Andrew Sheridan in long-awaited return for All Blacks game

Sheridan's inclusion at loose-head prop in place of Tim Payne is the only change England manager Martin Johnson has made to the side which started the 21-20 victory over Australia in June.

Lewis Moody has been retained as captain after recovering from a serious eye injury. And England's back division will be the same that laid the foundations for that victory over the Wallabies in Sydney.

Shontayne Hape, the former New Zealand rugby league international, will face his countrymen at inside centre. Hape, Ben Foden, Chris Ashton, Ben Youngs and Courtney Lawes all make their first Test starts at Twickenham.

Sheridan featured in two British and Irish Lions Tests in the summer of 2009 but dislocated his shoulder in October and missed the rest of last season.

England's tight-five destroyed Australia's rookie pack during the summer but the All Blacks will be a far more dangerous animal.

Payne has dropped out of the 22-man squad altogether with Bath prop David Wilson providing front-row back-up from the bench.

Wilson is joined among the replacements by two uncapped players in Gloucester's gnarly lock Dave Attwood and the Leeds flanker Hendrie Fourie, who has replaced James Haskell in the 22-man squad.

With Jonny Wilkinson injured, Charlie Hodgson returns to an England Test squad for the first time since the summer tour of New Zealand in 2008.

Johnson believes Sheridan could be a key figure against a powerful All Blacks outfit. He said: "He is a very strong player and we feel we can get more out of Andy. He has done pretty well but has not played for a long time for us due to injury. They are a big unit so it's going to be a big challenge."

Johnson dismissed the theory that New Zealand's last-gasp defeat to Australia in the final Bledisloe Cup clash of 2010 in Hong Kong at the weekend will adversely affect the tourists' mentality at Twickenham on Saturday, adding: "It was an intense game. When you are playing against the top sides in the world, mistakes get punished.

"Margins are tight, Australia have got better as they have gone through the season, they won with the last kick of the game but that's the nature of it. New Zealand are a pretty mature team. I don't think it will affect their self-belief."

He added: "They have had a game but they have also had to travel. We have had two weeks of preparations.Now we've got to get on the field and do it."