Tait, 19 a day after the Millennium Stadium showdown, has gained England head coach Andy Robinsons seal of approval as replacement for the injured Mike Tindall.

Tait will be partnered in the centre by his Newcastle colleague Jamie Noon, who takes over from Henry Paul.

Gloucester playmaker Paul is dropped following his unhappy display when England lost to Australia at Twickenham last November.

Other changes from the defeat against the Wallabies see World Cup scrum-half Matt Dawson recalled instead of Andy Gomarsall, Leicester lock Ben Kay replacing Steve Borthwick and Gloucester flanker Andy Hazell making his first RBS 6 Nations start.

Hazell will feature at openside flanker, with Lewis Moody moving to the blindside role and Wasps Joe Worsley lining up at number eight.

There are five personnel changes following the Australia clash plus the back row positional switches of Moody and Worsley.

Robinson goes into his first RBS 6 Nations game at the helm without the injured Tindall, Jonny Wilkinson, Will Greenwood, Stuart Abbott, Richard Hill and Martin Corry but both Noon and Hazell have been selected despite suffering injury scares during the latest round of Premiership action.

Dawson (calf strain) and Moody (hamstring), meanwhile, rested injuries at the weekend and did not play for their clubs.

Tait becomes the youngest England player since his Newcastle team-mate Wilkinson was capped as an 18-year-old almost six years ago, and Robinson said: I have never been afraid to select young talented players if I feel they are ready.

Mathew Tait has demonstrated to me he has the form and speed to earn his place in the starting XV.

England team to play Wales in the RBS 6 Nations Championship in Cardiff on Saturday:

J Robinson (Sale Sharks, capt); M Cueto (Sale Sharks), M Tait (Newcastle), J Noon (Newcastle), J Lewsey (Wasps); C Hodgson (Sale Sharks), M Dawson (Wasps); G Rowntree (Leicester), S Thompson (Northampton), J White (Leicester), D Grewcock (Bath), B Kay (Leicester), L Moody (Leicester), A Hazell (Gloucester), J Worsley (Wasps).

Replacements: A Titterrell (Sale Sharks), P Vickery (Gloucester), S Borthwick (Bath), J Forrester (Gloucester), H Ellis (Leicester), O Barkley (Bath), B Cohen (Northampton).