Wales v England:Mike Catt admits England will face a "massive challenge" at the Millennium Stadium this evening as they prepare to exit their comfort zone.
England's last four wins - against South Africa, Scotland, Italy and France - all came at Twickenham. And their away form has become a cause for concern - five successive defeats stretching back to February 2006.
They have arrived in Cardiff for an appointment with a Wales side hell-bent on victory to avoid the embarrassment of a Six Nations whitewash just two years after their Grand Slam win.
England got a confidence boost by ending French Grand Slam hopes last weekend, but Wales will provide a severe examination for youngsters like Toby Flood, Mathew Tait and flanker James Haskell, who makes his international debut in an all-Wasps backrow.
Skipper Catt said: "It is going to be very tough, but we need these type of massive challenges. We are getting ourselves out of our comfort zone at Twickenham, and we will soon see whether as a group of players we can handle these situations."
Catt allayed fears about his fitness by taking a full part in yesterday's Millennium Stadium team run. His training has been restricted by a hamstring problem, but he will now lead an England side with an outside chance of securing Six Nations silverware.
If Ireland and France win though, as expected, England will require an unlikely landslide triumph to pinch the title on points difference.
Catt added: "We have got to stick with what we are good at. I really hope we string together another performance that we can be proud of.
"This is a brand-new 80 minutes ahead of us, and it is important we maintain our performance and build on it from last week. Wales will be competitive, and they will not let us get on to the front foot. They will be fired up to the brim."
England head coach Brian Ashton insists there has been no title talk within the England camp this week, and agrees something approaching a 40-point victory is unlikely.
Ashton said: "The best part of our performance against France last week was the way a reorganised pack took the French full-on, and we have got to have the foundation and platform up front. Winning is the key thing, and to win away from home would be fantastic for us."
Ashton is also looking forward to the qualities the Wasps rookie Haskell could bring to the England side.
Ashton added: "He is a very dynamic player. Defensively, he is a big hitter and he is quite lively in broken play, to say the least."
England, despite recent troubles away from home, have an impressive record in Cardiff, with only one defeat since 1993.
That reversal came two years ago when a Gavin Henson-inspired Wales triumphed 11-9 to claim a first victory on the road towards achieving a championship clean-sweep.
Tait, who made his Test debut as an 18-year-old that day, now returns in the England midfield alongside Catt, and his captain is expecting a big performance.
Catt said: "Mathew Tait is a fantastic player and he is not going to be too concerned by what happened two years ago. He is very strong, he is very quick and he has got a lot to offer. We must play to his strengths.
"Wales are capable of gelling, and if they think they can come out and beat England then it won't make their championship too bad a one. For us, it is about performance game by game. We are not guaranteed a win, but if we put a very good performance together, then the opportunities will be there."
Wales v England Today, Cardiff Kick-off: 5.30pm On TV:
RTÉ 2, BBC 1.
