Individual goals will not compromise team ethic, says Burrell
Ahead of England's return warm-up against France, Luther Burrell says team performance is the focus.
Luther Burrell insists the desire of England's players to stake their claim for a Rugby World Cup berth will not come at the expense of a team performance in Saturday's return fixture against France.
England claimed a 19-14 victory when the sides met at Twickenham last weekend but, with Stuart Lancaster having made 14 changes to his starting XV, the match in Paris should offer a greater hint as to his World Cup plans.
However, Northampton Saints centre Burrell - who starts in Paris - says there is no room for self-interest.
"All players have the same goal, but one thing that I've stressed earlier is how united we are," he told Omnisport. "For me, I obviously want to put my hand up in these next few games, but it's going to be about the team.
"As a group of players we have the utmost respect for each other and all we can do is control what we can control.
"The last thing any player wants to do is go out there and play for himself.
"I want to put my body on the line for the man next to me and I know that the man next to me is going to do that for me.
"That's all you can ask from a team. It's then up to the coach to pick the team and who they see fit for the right games."
England welcome back Mike Brown from a head injury, while Joe Launchbury is among the replacements after 12 months out with a neck problem, and prop Dan Cole says it is important all players are at their best during the World Cup warm-up matches.
"The competition [for places] has always been there, but now the matches have started it's ramped up massively," said Cole. "They are Test matches, people want to play in these games.
"You're here to play rugby and it's the place to show what you can do. If you have a great game, you're more likely to get picked than if you have a great training session.
"It's all taken into account but, now the games have started, people want to play, they want to represent their country and people want to get stuck into it for the World Cup."
France have also made a host of changes - 12 to be exact - and the recalled Mathieu Bastareaud is hungry for a morale-boosting win.
"I think we can only accept victory for Saturday's game," he said. We play in France, we have no other choice but to win. If we want to start the World Cup with some confidence, we'll need to win this kind of game.
"England are among the favourites. They come with their strongest side. It would be some kind of achievement a month ahead of the World Cup."