Six Nations: Friday fight night as Mike Tindall hits back

It was a brazen attempt by Gatland to provoke the fiery Northampton captain into doing something stupid at the Millennium Stadium.

Punters can get odds of 12-1 for Hartley to be yellow carded and he expects Wales to target him, just as the Cardiff Blues did in their recent Heineken Cup defeats to Northampton.

But Tindall vowed England's tight-knit squad would stand up for their man by taking an "all for one, one for all" mentality into the game.

"You have got to support your players. If anyone has a pop at one player they are having a pop at the team," said Tindall, who will captain England for the first time tonight.

"That is how we have to respond as a team, get behind each other and go out there to solve the problem.

"Dylan is a good enough professional to understand what is going on. I expect a big game out of him and hopefully the boys will rally around and put in the same performance for him. It is always a fierce rivalry and that is the way it should be. We are going to honour that by playing hard rugby on the field."

Six Nations - complete coverage

• Andy Robinson urges Scots to front up, seize control and dominate French

• Dan Parks relishes centre stage in Scotland's pivotal role

• Friday fight night as Mike Tindall hits back

• Club clash can be springboard, says Tom Brown

• Hopefuls must keep focus on Italian job

• Brian O'Driscoll signs new contract with Ireland

• Opener at the start of weekend for the first and probably last time after TV experiment

• Gavin Henson eager for game time in Toulon

• Robin McBryde backs pack to hold up England

• Women's: Susie Brown wants women to battle in France

• U20s: Historic conquest in Normandy is target

Tindall believes that collective spirit is one of the key factors behind England's improvements over the last year.

Martin Johnson's men go into the Six Nations as the highest ranked team in Europe and favourites to lift their first title since 2003.

"Everyone has bought into how we are trying to run England rugby. Everyone gets on, everyone bonds together really well. It sounds a small thing but it makes a massive difference," Tindall said.

"That translates to people fighting that bit harder for the guy next to them. In those pressure situations it makes a difference."

England have not won a Test in Cardiff since 2003 and Tindall is the only remaining member of the starting XV to have left the Millennium Stadium with a victory.

Tindall is confident England have learned from their autumn experiences - the costly slow start against New Zealand and the lesson in physicality dished out by South Africa. "Wales have enough individuals to cause you problems. If we turn up there and play our game we believe we can win. That is the challenge for us," said Tindall.

"Wales always have the ability to pull out massive performances when things go right for them. We have to expect that to happen.

"The first 20 minutes we have to get out there and put a stop on it before it gets going. We have to start well.If we can impose our game we will be in a strong place to control the game." England manager Johnson credited Wales for their contribution to a "spicy build-up" ahead of tonight's showdown.

But, when the action gets serious, Johnson believes Gatland's men will be unable to stand the heat. Johnson's initial response to Gatland's criticism of Hartley was to suggest they were the actions of a man under pressure and returned to that theme.

Wales head into the championship without a victory from their last seven Tests and Johnson has urged England to prey on their inevitable self-doubt.

"If you haven't won for a long time, you get that feeling of, 'When is the next one going to come from?' We can control that in the game," Johnson said.

"We must give them no easy outs, no easy scores. If we get into the last quarter with them behind, that is where we want to be. That is the mental side of the game that is very important.

"I told our squad last week in Portugal that a lot would be said because it's England-Wales and there's a lot of media space to fill over 12 days. They (Wales] have filled most of it. I don't mind. I like a spicy build-up to a game, it gets the blood flowing. Then we go and play. A rugby game is about who is playing not about who said what. Our guys are desperate to go and play a game."

Johnson oversaw an encouraging autumn campaign, which included a record 35-18 home victory over Australia that lifted England up to fourth in the world rankings.

South Africa dished out a brutal lesson a fortnight later - but Johnson believes that will stand his young side in good stead for the trip to Cardiff, the most hostile Six Nations venue for England.

"There's certainly a different mood in the camp and I think that comes from winning some big games. There's a belief there that we can go and play against anyone and be successful," Johnson said.

"There's a certain confidence in the team that you get if you win some big games, or if you lose some as well but go through experiences."

Johnson has had to make three changes to his pack from that South Africa game, with key lineout forwards Courtney Lawes and Tom Croft plus Lewis Moody all injured. Northampton flanker Tom Wood will make his debut, James Haskell and Louis Deacon both return to the team.