Johnson goes on attack with England squad

Mathew Tait makes his first England start at outside centre since the 2007 Rugby World Cup final and the livewire Harlequin Danny Care is restored at scrum-half.

Delon Armitage and Riki Flutey return to the team at full-back and inside centre respectively after England missed their attacking presence during a miserable autumn.

Nick Easter also returns at number eight as one of six changes to the team beaten by New Zealand in November.

Faced with an unprecedented injury list, Johnson's management team effectively went into damage limitation mode for the November series against Australia, Argentina and the All Blacks.

But that left England stilted and one-dimensional and they scored just one try in three Tests. All three nations left Twickenham claiming not to have been stretched.

Johnson has since acknowledged the mistakes made during the autumn and clearly shifted the emphasis for the Six Nations. The inclusion of Armitage, Tait and Care suggests England will attack Wales with pace.

Tait's career has come full circle since making his infamous international debut as a teenage centre against Wales' Grand Slam side of 2005.

Since then he has been shunted around the back line, filling on the wing and at fullback but never really given a run in his preferred 13 jersey except for at the 2007 World Cup.

Tait has made just one England start since the 2007 World Cup final - at full-back against New Zealand on the 2008 summer tour. His last eight caps have all been as a replacement.

When Johnson announced his Six Nations squad, he admitted Tait had been mis-used for too long - and told the 23-year-old now is the chance to cement his place in the England midfield.

"I have felt a bit for Tait. It can be a little convenient sometimes to stick him on the bench because he is utility. It is probably a time for him to challenge for that 13 spot," Johnson said last month.

England's biggest area of concern is the front row, where Wales boast an all-Lions Test unit in Gethin Jenkins, Matthew Rees and Adam Jones.

Tim Payne has retained the loose-head jersey despite his recent struggles with Wasps and David Wilson returns at tight-head with Dylan Hartley at hooker. The uncapped Leicester prop Dan Cole is on the bench.

England: D Armitage (London Irish); M Cueto (Sale Sharks), M Tait (Sale Sharks), R Flutey (Brive), U Monye (Harlequins); J Wilkinson (Toulon), D Care (Harlequins); T Payne (Wasps), D Hartley (Northampton), D Wilson (Bath), S Shaw (Wasps), S Borthwick (Saracens, capt), J Haskell (Stade Francais), L Moody (Leicester), N Easter (Harlequins). Replacements: S Thompson (Brive), D Cole (Leicester), L Deacon (Leicester), S Armitage (London Irish), P Hodgson (London Irish), T Flood (Leicester), B Foden (Northampton).