Given his very own 'Mission Impossible' as England's stand-in for the injured Jonny Wilkinson, Hodgson's 2005 Six Nations performances earnt him nearly as many column inches as fellow Lion Gavin Henson's spiky hairstyle.

A supremely talented fly-half in his own right, Hodgson was not at his best with the boot as England endured a disappointing tournament, drawing unfavourable comparisons with Wilkinson and hate mail from disgruntled idiots.

True, there remain doubts about his mental toughness at the very highest level - he has admitted that if he misses his first kick in a match he can feel the pressure build inside him - and he is not as strong defensively as Wilkinson, yet as a playmaker he has few peers worldwide.

With wonderful hands and almost faultless timing of his passes, since making his debut in 2000 Hodgson has been the key component in a Sale backline that - including the likes of Jason Robinson, Mark Cueto and Steve Hanley - has always been among the most exciting in the Premiership.

An England debutant in 2001, scoring a record-breaking 44 points against Romania on a memorable afternoon, Hodgson missed the 2003 World Cup with a knee injury and will relish the chance to be a part of this tour.

The 'Charlie v Jonny' debate is a long way from reaching a conclusion; indeed as the days go by the two camps seem to get closer and closer to being completely polarised.

Yet a good tour for Hodgson could silence his critics once and for all and intensify calls for him to start at 10 for England with Wilkinson shunted to inside centre.