Newcastle's teenage sensation Mathew Tait is set to make his England debut when the world champions launch their RBS 6 Nations Championship campaign against Wales next week.

And the 18-year-old centre, who was still playing for his Barnard Castle School side this time last year, was last night given a glowing reference by his club colleague and England World Cup hero Jonny Wilkinson.

The precociously-talented Tait, who will be 19 the day after England's Millennium Stadium appointment with a confident Welsh side, looks poised to form an all-Newcastle midfield partnership with Jamie Noon.

If selected - England coach Andy Robinson will announce his team on Monday - Tait's elevation will represent one of the quickest from club to international arena in English rugby history.

Wilkinson has no doubt about Tait's ability, backing him to show his quality on the Test stage.

Tait, who was raised in the County Durham village of Wolsingham, has caught the eye with a number of impressive Heineken Cup and Zurich Premiership performances this season and he could be just the answer for an England side denied the services of injured World Cup centres Mike Tindall and Will Greenwood.

''He (Tait) is a hell of a player,'' said Wilkinson, who will miss at least the first half of England's Six Nations campaign through injury.

''Sometimes you get people saying about football players 'I saw him when he was 17, and I knew he was going to be big'.

''I have never really understood that sort of concept until I saw Mathew Tait.

''I looked at him, and I thought that he is going to be a special player.

''It is great, because I also get to be part of his every-day development. I know him well, I train with him a lot and I get to talk to him quite a bit.

''He is a player who has immense self-confidence, but never arrogance.

''He is humble, he works hard, and yet he has the kind of explosive unknown quality when he can just go and do something quite incredible and leave the rest of his team staring in disbelief.''

Tait is certain to benefit from having his club colleague Noon alongside him if, as expected, that is the midfield partnership Robinson announces on Monday.

Matt Dawson is ready to complete his England rehabilitation by regaining the scrum-half spot from Andy Gomarsall, who is destined to miss out on a place in the 22, with Harry Ellis preferred as bench cover.

Robinson demoted Dawson earlier this season after the Wasps star could not commit himself to an England training session because of his filming schedule as a team captain on the BBC's Question of Sport.

It is understood Leicester lock Ben Kay will start in the second-row alongside Danny Grewcock, with a rejigged back-row featuring Gloucester's Andy Hazell at openside flanker.

England know the importance of getting their Six Nations season off to a winning start in Wales, especially as their next two games are against reigning champions France, followed by many people's title tip, Ireland, in Dublin.

Wales have not beaten England in Cardiff since 1993, but their impressive displays during the autumn series - especially against New Zealand and South Africa - appears to give them a strong victory chance.

''It is going to be a great game, a very close one to call, and the side that can convert pressure into points is going to win it,'' said Robinson, speaking at yesterday's Six Nations launch in London.

''In the end, you are going to be judged on who wins the games, not how the performance goes.

''The key thing for us is about new leaders coming through in the team and taking the responsibility,'' added Robinson, who is preparing for his first Six Nations game at the helm after replacing World Cup mastermind Sir Clive Woodward last autumn.

Robinson reaffirmed his view that something has to be done about tackling one of rugby's major issues, player burn-out.