Northampton Saints hooker Dylan Hartley says that he has a 'fear of failure' whenever he plays for England.

The 23-year-old made two starts and came off the bench once for his country in the recent autumn internationals.

He told BBC Radio Northampton: "I'm still not happy. I don't feel I'm playing the best rugby [for England] as I do when I'm at Northampton.

"Some of it might be a fear of failure, not being able to relax and not wanting to go outside of the system."

Hartley added: "You don't want to let people down, you don't want to let coaches down, you don't want to let the fans down."

Hartley has 13 caps for England, after making his debut against the Pacific Islanders in November 2008.

"Personally, I need time. It's no easy thing, running out in front of 86,000 people, standing on touchline having to throw a ball. That's something I've got to deal with myself.

"When I play [for Northampton], I'm confident. But there's no right or wrong way to play the game. You do what's asked of you."

But despite his uncertainties Hartley is positive that England will impress at the 2010 Six Nations.

"We were underdogs last year, and we came second. That was when we were a fresh team. We've been building and, coming up to the Six Nations, we can be confident."

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