Saturday's defeat by Australia at Twickenham was massively disappointing because we felt we controlled the game for long periods.
We had plenty of ball and plenty of chances to make it count, but we failed to convert pressure into points and at Test level you'll get punished for that every time.
The intensity and physicality of Test rugby is also a step up from the Guinness Premiership: I was expecting that so it hasn't surprised me but it's still part of a learning curve which every player goes through. Fair play to the Australians, they defended really well and took their chances when it mattered.
Coming up against an opponent like George Smith you really learn what international rugby is all about. With an openside flanker of his class at the breakdown, it was always difficult for us to generate quick ball and get on the front foot. Now it's about how we bounce back against South Africa on Saturday.
The Springboks are having some injury problems and it's not clear if I'll be up against Fourie du Preez or Ricky Januarie at scrum-half. I was really looking forward to coming up against du Preez so hopefully he will be fit to start. He's one of the best, if not the best scrum-half in the world and of course a World Cup winner. But their other No 9 Januarie is a very handy player too, so either way it's going to be a big challenge.
There's naturally been a lot of talk about last year's World Cup final in France when England narrowly lost to South Africa. I watched that game on TV with the Harlequins lads after we'd beaten Wasps in the Premiership. I was injured at the time, and although I've always hoped to play for England it's unbelievable how quickly things have progressed over the past year.
Watching us face South Africa in Paris that night, I would never have thought I'd be the starting scrum-half against them next time out! But it's a dream for me to be in the side to face the world champions. I'm proud to be in this position and hopefully it will be a special day for the whole team.
As for the Guinness Premiership, it was great to see Harlequins beat Wasps so convincingly at the weekend. We outclassed them in pretty much every area - and naturally I've been giving my England colleague Danny Cipriani plenty of stick about it. We share a room when we're with England so there's no hiding place for him!
It was a bit disappointing for Quins not to get a bonus point but that display certainly bodes well for the rest our season. Nick Evans was outstanding at full-back and now that he's fit again it will be great to get on the pitch with him. He's equally dangerous from full-back or fly-half so he'll be a big factor this season.
But for now it's all about focusing on Saturday and the Springboks. It's another big test for me and for the team - make sure you read my exclusive itv.com blog next week.
Cheers,
DC
