Mark Cueto admits the shock of being dropped could be a blessing in disguise when England face Samoa in their crucial World Cup group match in Nantes on Saturday.
The Sale wing was axed after an error-strewn display at full-back in England’s unimpressive opening win against the United States.
But after missing the demolition by South Africa, head coach Brian Ashton has restored Cueto to the wing where he has scored 13 tries in 21 internationals. Josh Lewsey reverts to number 15.
Cueto said: "You never expect to be dropped. The team did not play as well as we would have liked (against USA) and maybe I made the odd mistake but I was massively disappointed and shocked.
"But on the flip side sometimes you do need a kick up the backside to get you back on the right track.
"Maybe that’s what it’s done for me and I can go out and play well this weekend. Regardless of where I am playing, I’m happy to be involved."
Cueto still believes his long-term future for club and country could be in the full-back berth even though his positioning was awry on several occasions against America.
"I don’t think it’s the end of full-back for me, just things in the previous two or three games haven’t gone as well as we would have liked. Therefore he (Ashton) has decided to put me back on the wing where he knows what I can do," Cueto said.
"Josh has played lots of times at full-back. Brian has not said it’s the end for me at full-back. It’s more about putting me in a position I’m totally familiar with and trying to find my form.
"I’ve played in the past at full-back for Sale on a number of occasions and it has gone well. It is a position I’m excited about playing and would like to play in the future, but at the present moment it isn’t working out so it’s a case of putting me in a position where he knows what I can do."
Cueto believes it "isn’t a massive step" switching between full-back and wing and fully expects to find himself in the last-ditch role at some time against Samoa.
But if England are to progress deep into a World Cup in which they have begun so woefully, Cueto believes each player must accept responsibility.
He said: "We’ve been together three months, had a lot of training time and three or four games and we still haven’t managed to put in the performance we know we are capable of.
"There have been errors and you can’t get away with them at a World Cup. We need to get our heads down a bit and concentrate on our individual performance. If every player does that then the collective performance will come."
