The Newcastle fly-half, despite playing barely 50 minutes rugby in 12 weeks, will be reunited with Englands number 10 shirt more than three years since he last wore it.

A demoralising catalogue of injuries and illness - his most recent problem was a lacerated kidney - stalled the 27-year-olds England career on 52 caps.

He has not represented his country since landing an extra-time drop-goal in the 2003 World Cup final that gave England a 20-17 victory over Australia.

But Wilkinson now returns to the fold for Brian Ashtons first game as England head coach, taking his place in a radically-changed team.

Former Great Britain rugby league captain, 31-year-old Andy Farrell, will line up alongside Wilkinson at inside centre, making a union Test bow after just seven first team starts for Saracens since he switched codes.

And Farrells former Wigan colleague Jason Robinson returns for a first England appearance since retiring from Test rugby in September, 2005, while his fellow World Cup winner Mike Tindall is also back.

There are a total of 11 personnel changes - plus positional switches for new captain Phil Vickery and Wasps back Josh Lewsey - from the side beaten 25-14 by South Africa in Andy Robinsons last game as England boss just over nine weeks ago.

Five players on starting duty that bleak November afternoon - Jamie Noon, Ben Cohen, Andy Goode, Chris Jones and Pat Sanderson - find no place in the team or among the replacements.

Sale Sharks wing Mark Cueto, meanwhile, is injured, with Newcastle centre Mathew Tait, Gloucester scrum-half Peter Richards, Bath hooker Lee Mears, Leicester prop Julian White and Wasps lock Tom Palmer all dropping down to the bench.

Gloucesters Iain Balshaw returns at full-back, so Lewsey moves to the wing, while there are also recalls for Leicester trio Harry Ellis, George Chuter and Louis Deacon, plus Sales 6ft 3in openside flanker Magnus Lund.

Both Lund and Tigers lock Deacon featured during last summers Australia tour, which signalled Ashtons reappearance on the England scene as attack coach.

Despite losing leadership duties to Wasps prop Vickery, Leicester number eight Martin Corry is retained in Englands back-row, where he is joined by Lund and Joe Worsley.

Worsley and Corry are the only players who keep their starting positions from the South Africa Test, such has been the extent of Ashtons overhaul.

And it will be a landmark game for three players, as Vickery, Corry and Tindall all win their 50th caps.