The Millennium Stadium is an incredible place, there is nothing quite like it. Wales will go into this match with an advantage as they have a settled team, they know each other but it is a first hit-out. It takes time to get your international head back on but England have to believe in themselves. The Welsh crowd is fantastic, the noise is incredible but they have to relish it. Use that as inspiration and channel it into performance and focus.

There is no noise quite like a Welsh crowd in full voice. Like England did this week, we trained in the past with loud speakers and noise being pumped in to prevent us from hearing each other's calls. We also didn't want the press to hear as they were standing nearby. But if it helps you get prepared rather than because you fear it, then it is a good thing, enjoy it.

England are now in a better place than the 30-3 loss to Wales in Cardiff two years ago. They have been through more games as a team, they have travelled to New Zealand and while the experiences haven't always been positive, they will inevitably bring this team closer together. The caps in the team increase by the game and I feel they are starting to learn from previous mistakes.

Take Andy Murray at the weekend and the way he lost and let things get out of his control. If you're a 19 or 20-year-old then you can understand it but with all his experience you expected him to cope better. That will be in Stuart Lancaster's mind when he looks at his time - he will now have a good idea of who can cope and who can't when the going gets tough.

That is why he has gone for Dan Cole at tight-head. Despite Kieran Brookes and Henry Thomas impressing during the autumn internationals, I was not surprised to see Cole back in the team. He has the experience of these big games. As much as you train and prepare for the matches, there is no substitute for the game what with the pressures on the neck and the body. He's a quality player and up to when he picked up the injury again which saw him out of action for the last few weeks, he was back to his best.

It will test him, undoubtedly, but he is definitely up to it. If there was one bloke you'd want to replace Davey Wilson, it is Cole.

He won't have it easy against Gethin Jenkins. The Welsh loose-head tends to hinge a lot from the hips and it can lead to penalties given for and against him. He will be alongside Samson Lee who is the future - goodness me, he is talented and has huge potential - but I was surprised by Adam Jones' retirement. You can't help but feel there was something else attached to it and I know if I was in Warren Gatland's shoes, if Lee goes down then there is no one else I'd want more than Jones to step in at a moment's notice.

Phil Vickery is no stranger to England v Wales clashes © Getty Images

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The injuries must be very disappointing for Stuart and the team but that's fact, that's reality. You can't get around it now and the great thing about this game is that it will give them an opportunity to step up and put a marker down. The future of this England team is not the 15 players who are perhaps first-choice but the bigger picture, the 31 who will hope to be in that World Cup squad.

Sometimes when you have injuries and different partnerships are named, you have to change the game plan and wind things in a little bit. That can be a positive when you are away from home and I expect England to keep things really simple.

I think England will focus on a performance which revolves around putting Wales under pressure and that will come from doing the simple things well - the boring bits like exit strategies from your own 22, kicking off as well as receiving kick-offs. England should also look to create pressure in the pack with Dave Attwood essential to that.

George Ford will also have an essential role to play. He must push Wales around the field and play the territory well. They must also eliminate silly penalties in their own half as Leigh Halfpenny will certainly punish them. That's what England failed to do last time in Cardiff in 2013 and we all know what happened then.

England cannot get too narrow in defence. They have a tendency to do that when under the cosh and while that means Jonathan Davies and Jamie Roberts might not get as much go-forward as they sometimes expect to, Alex Cuthbert and George North would have the freedom of the wings.

If England are to upset the apple cart, they must win the gainline battle and stop Rhys Webb at source. Their work-rate needs to be at another level as gaps will no doubt open up. They must be precise in everything they do and not underestimate even the smallest of decisions. If they can do that, stay in the game, stay with Wales, soak up the pressure and throw some shots of their own then the home crowd might start questioning their team and the plastic daffodils will be thrown in the air. If they can do all of that, they might just come away with a victory.

Wales have arguably the best back three in the Six Nations and they also have the benefit of that wonderful ground and the crowd behind them. The head says Wales will win but the heart always hopes for an English triumph in Cardiff.