"To be the best it's not about the flash stuff, it's actually about skill execution and everything done at a very high level." That was Stuart Lancaster's message to those who did not make the 33-man squad for the autumn internationals and a salute of approval to those included.

He is not looking for flash in the pan performances. With the World Cup 12 games away, he demands consistency. The players must be putting in nine out of 10 performances every Saturday and not oscillating between brilliance and mediocrity.

When England were hammered 30-3 by Wales, the thrashing signified the start of the second Lancaster team. Players were banished to the outskirts of the kingdom and foundations were re-laid. The 3-0 series loss to the All Blacks could have seen the third revision, but Wednesday's announcement was more a Lancaster Mark 2.5; it was evolution rather than a root and branch overhaul.

Lancaster knows 80 per cent of his World Cup squad. At present he has six Lions injured in the pack and the sizeable bulk of Manu Tuilagi absent nursing his troublesome groin. That he can then leave out Danny Cipriani, Christian Wade and Chris Ashton from this squad shows the level of depth in English rugby. It is an enviable position.

Sunday will see another group of players added to the mix. Expect to see Matt Kvesic, Richard Wigglesworth and Henry Slade turning up at Pennyhill Park after their European endeavours and they have a chance of breaking into the matchday 23 for the game against the All Blacks but for the time being England have set their stall on those etched on to the RFU-headed press release sent out on Wednesday.

Selections were made through a combination of objective and subjective data. The England management's array of analysts are put through the mill analysing breakdown statistics and line breaks while Lancaster and his three lieutenants assess subjective criteria once a week on each player who ran out the previous weekend.

On these decisions are made, squads named and selections picked. While you can name the pack with some confidence for their opener against New Zealand, the make up of the back five is still open. The wing spots are "up for grabs", according to Lancaster, and he is yet to nail his colours to the mast in the centres.

Lancaster's first match came against Scotland in February, 2012. That day he picked Charlie Hodgson at fly-half with Owen Farrell outside him, it was the early fledgling roots of his dream scenario of a two-sided attack.

A similar policy for this draft of the England team could yet see George Ford at fly-half with Farrell at inside centre. They briefly tested it against Italy in the previous Six Nations though they would have learnt little with the Azzurri offering little resistance. But the chances of seeing this combination against the All Blacks are slim. "Owen, George and Stephen see themselves as 10s and that's the way it'll start. But it is an option we'll consider."

The poker face only does so much dissuasion. One ever-increasing possible combination for New Zealand sees Kyle Eastmond at 12 and Brad Barritt, who is usually at inside centre, named at 13.

"Brad knows he can be selected as a 12 or 13," Lancaster said. "He's probably the best defensive centre in the league, there's no doubt about that. He can defend equally well in either position and probably even more effectively at 13. That's a key defensive position."

For Eastmond his last run out at inside centre ended up with him getting the shepherd's crook at half-time in the third Test against the All Blacks but in Lancaster's mind "he's been the best attacking inside centre this season. What he's shown in the Premiership - and for us in training - is his ability to take the ball to the line and make good decisions off the back of it."

But despite Eastmond's chastening experience in Hamilton, Tuilagi's injury and Twelvetrees' lack of form, Lancaster has no concerns over his options in the centres. "I wouldn't say the centres are an area of concern. Brad Barritt and Kyle Eastmond have both been outstanding and you have Luther Burrell and Billy Twelvetrees there as well. There's plenty of competition.

"Then there is Jonathan Joseph who is perhaps the form centre of all of them. It's about balance - you want a balance of pace, power and footballing ability. We will see them head to head [in training] and we will make our decisions on the combinations."

Barritt knows what it takes to beat the All Blacks, he was part of the 2012 crop who enjoyed that memorable November day in Twickenham. Their recent encounters did not engineer such enjoyment. Following their 3-0 series loss in the summer the England players will know the haka chapter and verse but familiarity is one thing, beating the All Blacks is another.

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The Kiwis are beatable, South Africa proved that, but England have played them five times in the current era and only recorded one victory. They have three in the last 21 years. When faced with that weight of odds against you, you could be forgiven for thinking he will opt for something completely different when they arrive in town but that's not the Lancaster way. He will not give debuts for the sake of using the unpredictability card.

"New Zealand put a lot of their analysis on themselves," Lancaster said. "It is more unique because we have played 3 games versus them on the bounce. I wouldn't do it [pick uncapped players] to throw New Zealand off the scent; we'd only do what's right for us as a group. Our selection will reflect what is best for us." Gone are the days of picking a reactive side.

For the back five, Lancaster will be looking for English to land punches on New Zealand through gainline breaking powerful running. Without Tuilagi he is hoping Marland Yarde or Semesa Rokoduguni will offer that ballast but they too will need to subscribe to the mantra of consistent excellence in which moments of magic are factored in.

"Our players have to be very, very good at everything and have two stand-out qualities as well. It could be a Christian Wade pace, a Watson step, a Roko power through the line, Nowell's ability to get through first defender, or Jonny May's out-and-out gas. The other piece of the jigsaw is the ability to be good at everything else. Ruck effectiveness, ability under the high ball, defensive alignment, kicking game, everything."

England cannot settle for second best in this autumn series. There was a bullish, confident feel to Wednesday's announcement. Yet talk means little.

It is now down to those who have been there since Lancaster got the job on an interim basis and those who will be navigating their way around Pennyhill Park for the first time to put down a marker. Over the course of the next four games, England need to find a World Cup pairing in the centres and a better idea of who can offer tries on the wing. It is all easy enough in theory, as it is to rationalise selection but as they know, it is infinitely harder in practise.