Also, the n$ "format parameter index" attribute of the sprintf format specifier can free you from the capture variable lockstep of $1 .. $n:

c:\@Work\Perl\monks>perl -wMstrict -le
"my $template = 'all the %3$s %1$s %2$s';
 my $extract  = 'all at sea in ships';
 ;;
 if ($extract =~ m{ \A all \s+ (\w+) \s+ (\w+) \s+ in \s+ (\w+) \z }xm
+s) {
   my $string = sprintf $template,
     $1, $2, $3, $4, $5, $6, $7, $8, $9, $10, $11, $12, $13;
   print qq{>$string<};
   }
"
>all the ships at sea<
[download]

Both safe and flexible.