Martin Johnson will begin a new era in English rugby today when he names his first elite player squads. For the first time the man in charge of the the England team will have unique access and control of his squad. Johnson, the England team manager, will believe that he can accomplish an evolution on the pitch to match that of the peace deal between clubs and the RFU. The key man to help establish a new dynamism among the England backs could be Riki Flutey, who is widely tipped to be named today.

Flutey, a 28-year-old New Zealander, does not qualify until September under the three-year residency rule. But such has been his influence - he was voted player's player of the season - on a London Wasps team who overcame many odds to win the Guinness Premiership last season, there is little doubt that he will be fast-tracked into the England No12 jersey. There is the intriguing prospect of a proud Maori who led the haka in every All Blacks age-group team and played for New Zealand Maori, facing the war-dance at Twickenham on November 29. “Most schools have a haka, so you faced them all the time,” Flutey said from his family holiday in Greece.

New Zealand's lack of a sense of loss will be England's gain, especially against the All Blacks. The 25-year-old utility back, who arrived in England in 2005, is coming to the peak of his powers after a season at No12. Flutey, who has played with and against all of the All Blacks players, said that he will be extra keen to show his friends back home what they are missing. “For sure I use all sorts of things to fuel me up and that would definitely be one,” Flutey said. “It would be, ‘Look at me now, I'm taking my opportunities.' I didn't make the All Blacks and I want to see how I can go on the international stage.”

Flutey consulted friends and family to make sure that they were happy with his decision, but one conversation sticks in his mind. “Initially I was ‘jeez, that would be quite hard for me to do', especially with me leading the haka in all my New Zealand age grades, but they gave me their full blessing,” Flutey said. “I had a chat with Norm Hewitt [the former New Zealand hooker] when I was back in New Zealand [in February]. We went for lunch and I was a little scared to even ask him with him being a staunch New Zealand Maori. I remember him and Richard Cockerill [the former England hooker] being face to face in the haka.

“But he said 'what a fantastic opportunity' and to hear that from Norm, I was, like, wow, to get his blessing.”

Flutey's wife, Sarah, gave birth to their first child, Madison, 11 months ago and is 15 weeks pregnant, and Flutey said that being a father has improved his rugby and chilled him out.

Flutey will be teaming up again with Brian Smith, who is expected to be announced as the England attack coach. Smith, the former London Irish director of rugby, spent five years trying to sign Flutey, first when he was coaching at the Brumbies and eventually getting his man to Irish.

Flutey watched England go down in flames in New Zealand, where they lost two internationals convincingly last month, but does not think that they are light years behind and has remedies for both on and off-the-field problems. “I watched half of the first Test in New Zealand and I think there are a few quick-fix things that England can do,” Flutey said. “It looks like there are too many individual plays, guys trying to do things on their own, especially in the back line.”

Flutey has been through tough tour investigations, too. “With the Wellington Hurricanes in '99 there were rape allegations in South Africa,” he said. “That was huge news and went on for a long time, we just canned all women from our hotel floor. Even our wives weren't allowed to spend the night in our room. The single guys make a bit of an uproar about it, but if they want to do their thing, do it somewhere else, not around us married guys.”

The squads On July 1 each year three elite player squads of 32 will named - senior, Saxons and under-20.

The Pay Clubs will be paid £146,250 for each player named in the senior squad.

Availability Senior elite squad players may be away with England for up to 14 weeks in uninterrupted blocks in a season - autumn internationals and Six Nations Championship - and will miss nine out of 22 league matches.

Medical The elite rugby director (Rob Andrew at present) has the final say on whether a player needs an operation up until the end of the Six Nations. From after the Six Nations to the end of the season, the club director of rugby will decide.

Position Where a player plays is down to the club. Originally the RFU was going to name players in specific positions and if a club named them out of that position, the elite director of rugby could remove the player from the elite squad list (as a financial penalty).