Jonny Wilkinson has been declared 'ready and available' to make a startling England comeback in the RBS 6 Nations Championship opener against Scotland at Twickenham.
The Newcastle fly-half played a central role during England's three-day training camp earlier this week, with head coach Brian Ashton describing his contribution as "staggering."
Wilkinson's successful return for the Falcons yesterday followed a 12-week absence recovering from kidney damage, and speculation has intensified about a possible Calcutta Cup appearance next Saturday.
The 27-year-old has missed England's last 30 Test matches - the result of a depressing injury catalogue - since his dramatic drop-goal secured 2003 World Cup glory.
Wilkinson was retained by Ashton in a 29-man England squad preparing for Scotland's visit, with the starting line-up due to be announced tomorrow.
England's record points scorer played more than half the game as Newcastle lost 39-5 against Guinness Premiership leaders Leicester at Welford Road, and the ball is now firmly in Ashton's court.
Falcons rugby director John Fletcher said: 'They are not my decisions, but he is ready to play.
'It is entirely up to Brian. I am not too sure what Brian's thoughts are about players who haven't played a lot of rugby in a relatively short period of time. But he is available.
'I thought he went well. Every time he comes back, he makes a point of coming back physically better - so there is absolutely no reason why he is not going to be better than the last time he played.
'Jonny has suffered no ill-effects, and I thought he generally played well. But he does it every day in training, so it wasn't a surprise at all.
'He flew about, pushed the ball around and knocked people over - so I was happy with how he went for a first game back.'
While Wilkinson might have forced himself into the selection frame, Bristol number eight Dan Ward-Smith is coming to terms with seeing his Six Nations dream cruelly destroyed by injury.
The New Zealand-born forward had been widely tipped to make a Test debut against Scotland, but he could now face six months out after suffering a dislocated right kneecap and suspected ruptured tendon in a pile-up on his own line during Bristol's 14-8 Premiership victory over Northampton.
Ward-Smith wore an oxygen mask while medics immobilised the knee, before he was carried off on a stretcher and taken to hospital by ambulance.
A scan tomorrow will determine the extent of tendon damage. But Bristol head coach Richard Hill confirmed Ward-Smith's England debut chances will now have to be put on hold until this summer's South Africa tour, at the earliest.
Hill said: 'The dislocated kneecap is probably a six-week injury, with no complications. Although it was put back into place on the pitch, that's his Six Nations over.
'But if he has ruptured his patella tendon, then that is a six-monther - and we just have to wait to see the results of the scan on Monday morning. It is a terrible thing to happen to a young man.
'It is really cruel luck for him, and we all knew what it meant as soon as it happened. It really rocked our players.
‘We didn't think about resting him from the game. Had we known he had definitely been selected (for England), then maybe we would have done so - but he would probably have wanted to play anyway.'
Ward-Smith was expected to pack down in the England back row instead of former Test captain Martin Corry, although the latter's resurgent club form would have guaranteed Ashton a tight selection call.
Elsewhere, Gloucester centre Mike Tindall underlined his readiness for a first England appearance this season by inspiring a 44-24 Premiership victory over Sale Sharks.
Tindall is likely to forge England's midfield partnership alongside rugby league import Andy Farrell - and his performance against Sale oozed class, composure and creativity.
Gloucester head coach Dean Ryan said: 'Mike has been outstanding for us and he brings so much more than the physical side to his game that everyone writes about.
'He is freeing the game up for us and he has been in good form for a number of weeks now.
'Without him, we are a completely different back line, and there is no doubt we missed him at the start of the season when he was injured.'
Ashton's squad is preparing to assemble at a new training base, Bath University, from where his first Test team since he replaced Andy Robinson five days before Christmas will be announced.
There promises to be wholesale changes, with possibly just five players - Corry, new captain Phil Vickery and his Wasps colleagues Josh Lewsey, Tom Palmer and Joe Worsley - being retained from Robinson's last game in charge, a 25-14 home defeat against South Africa only nine weeks ago.
