Lesley Vainikolo insists he is ready to erupt for England

Move over Etna and Vesuvius, there is a new Volcano on the Italian skyline. And Lesley Vainikolo insists he is ready to erupt.

Shortly after lunch tomorrow seismic activity is forecast for Rome when the giant Tongan-born back makes his first start for England.

"I fear for Italy's wingers," said Paul Sackey, team-mate of Big Les, aka The Volcano. "He brings a lot of fear to the game. I'm even scared of him in training."

It is not purely that he weighs in at nearly 18 stones and has clocked 10.6 seconds for 100 metres that has put Italy on high alert.

Nor that he averaged a try a game in rugby league and came off the bench to set up England's lone try on his debut last week against Wales.

It is the way the World Cup finalists crashed and burned at Twickenham, igniting a rage within Vainikolo just below his smiling exterior.

"It hurts me that we went out there and we didn't get the result we wanted for the country," he said. "For me, the bigger the game the greater the hurt.

"All week in training I have used that as motivation and it will fire me up on Sunday for sure."

Seven days on and England's management expect an explosion from their new recruit.

Vainikolo said: "Playing for England and carrying the nation's dreams is a massive weight to have on your shoulders.

"But I know what I have to do to get the nation going and to get the team going. If I get it right and help the team I believe the result will look after itself."

A week ago he made an instant impact after coming on, to a huge cheer, as substitute for the luckless David Strettle, forced off with a foot injury.

"The welcome I got gave me a massive buzz and multiplied the energy I felt inside by a thousand," he said.

Fully charged, he powered through on to a loose ball and almost relieved Wales wing Mark Jones of his head.

Soon after he climbed high to beat Jones to another ball and pop up the scoring pass for Toby Flood.

England amassed 10 points without reply in Vainikolo's first 10 minutes of Test rugby union and breezed into a 16-3 lead.

Then a strange thing happened.

They did not use the big man again and Wales climbed off the floor to win the game.

England's explanation was that with so little time to prepare the team last week, they had devoted all their energy to the starting XV.

Assistant Coach Mike Ford said: "No one could have predicted the injuries we got and that Les would be on in the first half.

"We tried to get messages on to him.

We told him to get involved in the game.

But we hadn't worked on it in training and he didn't know in which position to be.

"This week we've had plenty of time and you'll see him with the football in his hands a lot more - and in good positions.

"I'm looking forward to that. I'm looking forward to seeing the Italians try to tackle him."

Italy have never beaten England. On their home patch they have never come close. They may never have a better chance.

England have lost five players to injury and lack confidence. Italy have a new coach in Nick Mallett and new optimism after scaring Ireland.

"We've got to raise our aggression levels," said Vainikolo.

"Man, it's got to be done. We have to do that or we'll be out of jobs. That's how I see it."

ROME TEAMS

Six Nations Ch'ship: Italy v England, Rome, tomorrow

ITALY ENGLAND

D Bortolussi (Montpellier) 15 I Balshaw (Gloucester)

K Robertson (A Viadana) 14 P Sackey (Wasps)

G Canale (C-Auvergne) 13 J Noon (Newcastle)

Mirco Bergamasco (S Francais) 12 T Flood (Newcastle)

E Galon (O Parma) 11 L Vainikolo (Gloucester)

A Masi (Biarritz) 10 J Wilkinson (Newcastle)

P Travagli (O Parma) 9 A Gomarsall (Harlequins)

A Lo Cicero (R-Metro) 1 T Payne (Wasps)

L Ghiraldini (Calvisano) 2 M Regan (Bristol)

M Castrogiovanni (Leicester) 3 P Vickery (Wasps, capt)

S Dellape' (Biarritz) 4 S Shaw (Wasps)

Ca del Fava (Ulster) 5 S Borthwick (Bath)

J Sole (Viadana) 6 J Haskell (Wasps)

Mauro Bergamasco (S Francais) 7 M Lipman (Bath)

Sergio Parisse (S Francais) 8 N Easter (Harlequins)

REPLACEMENTS

C Festuccia (R Metro), S Perugini (S Toulousain), C Nieto (Gloucester), A Zanni (Calvisano), S Piccone (Treviso), A Marcato (Treviso), A Sgarbi (Treviso)

L Mears (Bath), M Stevens (Bath), B Kay (Leicester), L Narraway (Gloucester), R Wigglesworth (Sale Sharks), D Cipriani (Wasps), M Tait (Newcastle)