The best advice Mathew Tait has received in the past two years came from the former Wales fitness advisor Steve Black. "You're never guaranteed tomorrow," the Newcastle conditioning coach would frequently remind the young centre. "Look forward and never look back." The message was absorbed and, as he recalls the mantra this week, a fresh gleam is visible in Tait's sky-blue eyes. If England's No13 is apprehensive about today's high-profile return to Cardiff it is not apparent.

In fact, according to close friends, it is Wales who should be concerned about reaping the whirlwind they unwittingly helped create two years ago in this corresponding fixture. "He'll be awesome . . . the Welsh won't know what's hit them," says Jamie Noon, Tait's Newcastle team-mate, who is back on England's bench today. "He's been raring for an opportunity like this. They might even have to hold him back and say: 'Don't try too much too soon.'"

Mike Tindall's infected knee has flared up at a timely moment for connoisseurs of poetic justice. Back in February 2005 Tait, on the eve of his 19th birthday, was thrown into the Millennium Stadium cauldron by the then England coach, Andy Robinson. The history books show England lost 11-9; Tait was portrayed as Gavin Henson's personal rag-doll and his name was missing from the team-sheet against France the following week.

The reality is less clear-cut; England were collectively poor on the day and never remotely put Tait in a position to employ his rare attacking gifts. "He didn't necessarily play badly, he just got hit a couple of times," says Toby Flood, another loyal Falcons team-mate. Perceptions, though, are hard to shift and it has taken two years for the wunderkind to be chosen to start another Six Nations game. As for Henson, missing today, some would say his career has never fully recovered either.

In hindsight, of course, the real culprit was not Henson but Robinson. His decision to drop Tait like a hot coal prompted howls of anger in Newcastle and remains one of the former head coach's bigger regrets. To paraphrase James Herriot, it shouldn't have happened to the vet's son from Wolsingham, Co Durham. Brian Ashton will not make the same mistake. When he first saw Tait on video, playing for England Under-16s, he sensed a natural talent to match any English midfield back since Jeremy Guscott. Nothing he has seen subsequently has altered his mind.

Newcastle also deserve much credit for restoring the young man's self-belief. Opinions vary as to how long it took; Tait concedes it was "a couple of months" before he felt human again. "It was quite an ugly experience and it did take him a while to recover," recalls Noon. "Especially for youngsters there's a temptation to think 'I need to be Superman to get back in' and try and do too much yourself."

John Fletcher, Rob Andrew's successor as director of rugby at Kingston Park, was also closely involved in the rebuilding process. "It was a tough time, just because of his inexperience," he says. "He just didn't know what to expect. Now he's played over 50 Premiership games, which is a lot for a kid of barely 21. He's a lot more comfortable in his environment and he's a much better player because of that. I don't think it's made him more determined because I don't think he could possibly get more determined than he already was."

Significantly Tait's rehabilitation has not just been a matter of hitting more tackle bags. With Newcastle's blessing he has embarked on a full-time degree course in biomedical sciences and Fletcher believes it has helped enormously. "That course is the best thing he's ever done. He's the type of kid who needs to be kept busy. He misses a lot of the lectures and, to fit everything in, sometimes has to be in the gym at 7am. He's a straight A-plus student, so he's also had to compromise slightly and accept not being the best in the class. That's tough for him because he's been used to that in the past."

Noon believes this increased sense of personal responsibility has been a bonus. "He's a very clever guy in exams and on paper but he comes across as the thickest bloke in the world. He's got no common sense, he's scruffy and he's quite lazy. When he walks he saunters and doesn't pick his feet up. He's the total opposite to what people imagine someone of his intelligence should be. He's a good lad but he's always ringing people to ask how to do things. We're always saying: "Taity, get a grip . . . "

What no one has ever disputed is that Tait would eventually reappear for England. "He's a massively better player than he was two years ago," insists Noon, describing the Commonwealth Games sevens tournament in Melbourne last year as the "shining moment" in his team-mate's resurrection. A yard of space, at any level, and special things happen.

"He's going to be a top, top player . . . potentially he'll be world-class but 'potentially' is a huge word," cautions Fletcher, nevertheless happy to endorse Ashton's comparison with a young Brian O'Driscoll. "He's very like Brian. In one or two areas I'd imagine he'll go past Brian. He's also a better person and player because of the experiences he's had."

Tait has not met Henson since their fateful first encounter. Still, a few ghosts will be exorcised today.