England skipper Dylan Hartley is a man on a mission this weekend at BT Murrayfield; hell-bent on proving his doubters wrong by producing an all-star performance against Scotland.
As the RBS 6 Nations kicks off on Saturday, Hartley was a bold selection for the captaincy by new boss Eddie Jones to replace outgoing captain Chris Robshaw and lead England in the tournament.
Click to play the Official RBS 6 Nations Fantasy Rugby game! Hartley returns to the side after missing last year’s Rugby World Cup but after being selected as the man to lead a new-look side, Hartley is determined to embrace his new role.
The Northampton hooker feels as though he has a point to prove in Edinburgh on Saturday and plans to take out his frustrations on Vern Cotter’s Scotland.
“I’ve never prepared for a game so well because I don’t want to be shown up,” said Hartley.
“The captaincy thing, the whole media circus – the sideshow that I don’t really want to do but I understand that I have got to do – and everyone wanting to see me muck up is making me prepared for this game in a good way.
“Everyone wants to see people fail, don’t they? I just know it is out there, for whatever reason.
“It’s my fault – I’ve created this story – but it isn’t something I look back at. I’m pretty excited to be here. I’m prepared and not over-playing it.
“Looking back on where things have gone wrong in the past, it’s maybe because when games are so big I build something up, so I’m just trying to focus on myself this week.
“It’s about knowing the detail, knowing that I’ve done the work then I can relax and look forward to the game. That’s how I feel now.”
Click here for TV coverage and the full fixture list for the 2016 RBS 6 Nations
