Cueto: Set to come in for Armitage

Cueto was axed for England's decisive pool victory over Scotland despite scoring a hat-trick against Romania, with the England management opting for Delon Armitage on the left wing.

But Armitage's one-match ban for a "dangerous high tackle" on Chris Paterson has opened the way for Cueto's return - and the Sale star has a week of bottled-up frustration to unleash on Les Bleus.

Cueto had played 29 consecutive Tests before a back injury kept him out of England's opening two World Cup games but he returned with a bang.

After running in quickfire hat-trick past the Romanians, Cueto was convinced he was back on song and would be in manager Martin Johnson's starting line-up against Scotland.

"The thought didn't come into my head about not getting picked for the next week (against Scotland)," Cueto said.

"To then get dropped after a hat-trick I was like 'oh my God, where am I at here?'

"Johnno explained his decision and we had a chat for five or 10 minutes. I was 100 per cent fit but the coaches weren't convinced. Regardless of our relationship I've got to accept that.

"I maybe spat my dummy out for a while. I was sulking. I was hugely disappointed.

"Experience is telling me it is a long competition. For me the comparisons with this and the last World Cup in 2007 are just uncanny.

"I seem to have three relatively comfortable years where things just seemed to go right. In 2007 I played in the pool stages and got a hamstring injury against Tonga.

"I missed the quarter-final against Australia and the semi-final against France. Josh (Lewsey) pulled his hamstring in the semi and I got into for the final of the World Cup.

"It is such a crazy competition. You can't compare it to anything else.

"One minute you are at the bottom of the pile and suicidal, for want of a better phrase, and the next minute you are playing in a World Cup final and top of the pile.

"Selection is a part of sport. Everyone's had a disappointment at some point along the line and that's the way it will always be."

England's only other wing option is Matt Banahan but Johnson may well need him to cover the centres as Mike Tindall struggles with a dead leg.

If Cueto starts, he expects that disappointment and frustration to infuse his performance.

"Hopefully, yeah. Every time I go out on the field I treat it like my last game - even more so now because this is 100 per cent my last World Cup," he said.

"I might play for England after the World Cup but I'm not going to play in another World Cup for England. So from that point of view my mindset won't change.

"So if selected I'll go out there and give 100 per cent like I always do."

Armitage was cited after England's 16-12 victory over Scotland and pleaded guilty to the charge at a disciplinary hearing in Auckland on Monday.

The independent judicial officer, Bruce Squire QC, halved Armitage's potential ban after taking into account a number of mitigating factors.

England's concerns over the fitness of Jonny Wilkinson continued for another day as they wait to discover whether the arm injury he suffered against Scotland will rule him out of the France game.

"It's a shame to lose Delon as he has played well but these things happen and we have some quality wings in Mark Cueto and Matt Banahan to chose from," Johnson said.

"Both (Tindall and Wilkinson) are responding to treatment so we will just have to see where they are up to when we get back into weights and light training tomorrow."

Cueto also launched a vehement defence of England's off-field conduct - and insisted there were no more skeletons in the closet.

"There have been a couple of things gone on and in another country they may have been nothing but in this country, with the goldfish bowl we are in, it is a big deal," said Cueto.

Johnson confirmed on Sunday that James Haskell, Dylan Hartley and Chris Ashton had been made to formally apologise to a Dunedin hotel worker after she was reportedly teased with lewd comments.

The England manager has decided not to discipline Tindall, despite fresh revelations that had not told whole truth about his now infamous night out in Queenstown.

Cueto continued: "Whether it is naive or not, sometimes you don't quite understand it until you get amongst it.

"Things have happened. We have learned from them. We have had to learn from them and we have improved our discipline off the field.

"I don't think standards have slipped. With the Tins thing, we are talking about a couple of guys going out for a few beers. What is wrong with that?

"If the boys can't go out and have a few beers then it is a sad world that we live in.

"It is a reality check that such a small thing can be made into such a massive deal.

"As a group of players we have spoken about it with and without the management. We know exactly where we are at now and I am sure there will be no more stories like that to come out."