In such a heavy-duty sporting week a pre-season friendly in Connacht would normally pass quietly beneath the radar. The return of Jonny Wilkinson to competitive rugby tonight, however, has altered all that and the ripple of interest in the Newcastle and England fly-half extends far beyond the scenic shores of Galway Bay.

Having managed only 53 minutes of rugby since drop-kicking England to victory in last November's World Cup final, Wilkinson will be looking no further ahead than the first tackle. After surgery to relieve nerve damage in his neck and right shoulder, he has been absorbing contact in training for some time but there is not a rugby player in existence who does not feel happier once the first opponent has been securely decked with the tackler's limbs still intact.

Rob Andrew, the Falcons' director of rugby, is naturally attempting to conceal any concern, suggesting only that Wilkinson "has stood up well in training so we're confident he will be fine". The rest of the rugby world, however, is inevitably posing the questions that always surround top sportsmen in such situations: will Wilkinson be as good as new and, if not, how long will it take to get him back to where he once belonged?

On the first count, well-wishers should not worry about his all-round physical fitness. He may not have played since being injured against Northampton at the end of December but those close to him, including the Falcons' fitness guru Steve Black, say he has been training religiously all year. If the strength in his right arm is not what it was, he has passed sufficient tests not to feel he is stepping entirely into the unknown.

And, besides, Wilkinson does not kick goals with his shoulder. Bath's director of rugby John Connolly, who during his days at Queensland helped nurse the high-profile likes of Tim Horan and John Eales back to health from serious long-term injuries, makes the point that recovery from knee problems can be a much dodgier proposition. "Coming back from a major leg operation is more of an issue," Connolly insists. "John Eales was out for 12 months with a shoulder problem and he probably didn't miss a beat when he came back."

On the other hand, Connolly's experience also teaches him that no individual, however gifted or assured, can step back into the fray and rely on others to touch their forelocks and leave him in peace. "It'll take him time and a few games to get back into it. He's a wonderful player but, I tell you what, I thought Charlie Hodgson played very well in New Zealand and Australia.

"It's a bit like Tiger Woods. Three years ago he was unbeatable but now he's hardly winning a tournament. He's still a great player, as is Wilkinson, but the game evolves and changes. Hodgson takes the ball to the line well; so does Olly Barkley. Wilkinson could end up at 12."

A more cautious Barkley says he would happily slot in at centre alongside his fellow left-footer but, having enjoyed a tantalising sniff of the big time in June, he has not been training twice a day all summer in order to play second fiddle.

Therein lies the fascination and the reason why more male imaginations than usual will be distracted from tonight's women's beach volleyball final in Athens.

Wilkinson suggested last week that he was starting back "with a fairly blank sheet of paper" but, to be more precise, tonight heralds the start of the second act of his career. Despite his tally of 817 points in 52 Tests for England and his post-World Cup fame, the perfectionist within him would be horrified to be told there is nothing better to come.

In that respect, the unscheduled break could easily turn out to be for the good. Now 25 and pain-free for the first time since his teens, he has had a chance to recognise the frequently tortured soul he became last year and to accept he might become an even better player if he were slightly less obsessive.

"It might be that the time Wilkinson has sat out could add years to his career the other end," agrees Connolly. "It has given him the chance to refresh himself mentally. Getting battered from pillar to post every week is hard work."

England have certainly missed Wilkinson's presence, winning only three out of eight Tests without him since that extra-time drop-goal against Australia in Sydney, but before entertaining any notions of a comeback against Canada at Twickenham on November 13 he must brace himself for a certain degree of Celtic scepticism.

There are plenty across the Irish Sea who fail to see why Wilkinson should rate such a prolonged roll of drums when someone such as Brian O'Driscoll, the world's pre-eminent centre, would probably rate a short paragraph in similar circumstances.

In Galway, moreover, they are eager to salute a fly-half legend who has never worn the white of England. Eric Elwood, the former Irish stand-off and local icon, will be making his 150th appearance for Connacht and a crowd of between 2,000 and 3,000 is confidently predicted at a venue which doubles as a greyhound stadium. Wilkinson cannot afford to be too slow out of the traps.

Welcome back, Jonny...but who will you play with?

The trusty duo

Won a World Cup together but have not linked up since. The influential Will Greenwood will be 32 in October and will not be available for much longer

The next move?

Sir Clive Woodward could perm one from several alternative inside-centre candidates - Olly Barkley, Stuart Abbott, Mike Tindall or Henry Paul - to support Wilkinson, depending on tactics and opposition

The radical

Two fly-halves operating in tandem in a right and left-foot combination. Charlie Hodgson's vision and distribution allied to Wilkinson's outstanding defence and goalkicking might be an effective duet