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I want to see England put down a real marker against Italy at Twickenham tomorrow, one that will tell all the other Six Nations teams that we are going to be a serious threat this year.
England need to improve in all aspects of their play from the November internationals and even though they did win enough possession and had lots of territory, we didn't have the try-scoring edge when it mattered.
In many ways, we are fortunate to be starting off against Italy and while they will be tough, they are going through change under head coach Nick Mallett, who is introducing new players to their squad. He has also picked Mauro Bergamasco, known throughout the game as a dangerous flanker, as their new scrum-half. Now, that really is a big call.
Italy will not fear England and I believe that has been the case each time we have played them after the 2003 World Cup. Last year in Rome, we were left hanging onto a slender lead and were relieved to register a 23-19 win.
Andy Goode has been handed the England No10 jersey and I believe he will bring experience and a sound kicking game to the team.
He will also give the side structure and I expect England to play a territory game through Goode's boot. It will be fascinating to see what effect playing for Brive in France has had on his game because his England appearances have featured indifferent periods of play. He has been fantastic for Brive and let's hope he brings that form tomorrow.
I can understand why Martin Johnson has sent Danny Cipriani to play for the Saxons against Ireland A in Dublin tonight.
We need to see Cipriani controlling a game and producing those deft touches that are such a key part of his play. It is unfair to put so much pressure on him and if he had faced Italy and not had the greatest of games, then it would have put him under even greater scrutiny.
Let's allow Cipriani to fully recover his form after that horrendous ankle injury and tonight's game will be a challenge.
Ireland A will be a real test and matches against them at this level - particularly in Dublin - are tough affairs. Cipriani didn't have the greatest series of matches in November but you could say the same about many players.
Now, Johnson has asked his men to stand up and be counted and the fans will want to see a response from the players. England need that improvement in style, execution and game management and I am excited to see how the team perform.
I don't believe the Lions tour to South Africa at the end of the season will be in the minds of too many players. Wales, who are my favourites to land the title again, have put their collective case forward for selection while the English, Irish and Scots need to start producing results in this tournament to boost their players' chances of making the trip.
Even though England have tough away games in Wales and Ireland, I can see them finishing second because the tournament is going to be extremely tight. We have three home matches and that's a huge advantage.
