Kay, full-back Josh Lewsey and hooker Steve Thompson are the only members of England's starting line-up on duty at Lansdowne Road who have not experienced previous Grand Slam missions.

The 27-year-old almost made it 18 months ago when England tackled Ireland in Dublin, but ultimately was not required.

This time though, Kay will be in the thick of things, having firmly established himself as England's key line-out forward and proving among the best players around when it comes to poaching opposition ball.

"This is a situation that everyone wants to be in - it's just like a cup final, really," he said.

"I have had good experience of cup finals I've played in with Leicester, and I've had a great feeling all week. It is a one-off game, and I can't wait for it.

"We've had a bit of a chat from Clive earlier in the week about the mistakes that have been made in the past, and the lessons to be learnt, but it was more about the games we lost, rather than the fact we haven't achieved a Grand Slam.

"The mistake we felt that was made against Ireland 18 months ago was that we didn't play directly enough, and we've put a big emphasis on the basics, making sure they are right."