Dylan Hartley set to become England's most-capped hooker

England captain Dylan Hartley is set to become the most-capped hooker for his country when he takes the field in Melbourne for the second Test against Australia on Saturday.

The 30-year-old will be making his 74th appearance for the red rose team and will be surpassing the record set by Steve Thompson, who represented England between 2002 and 2011.

Hartley, who made his Test debut in 2008 against the Pacific Islanders at Twickenham said he is enjoying every moment with the England team.

"I've just found out about it, it's a huge accolade. I think I was playing loosehead prop when I came to England, so there was no way I would have expected that," Hartley said.

"I'm cherishing every moment. When you're young, you might not, you are just caught up in it.

"But when you are 30, you are aware of selection and you see that one week, some guys are in, then they're out.

"It makes me desperate to be in every week and keep being involved with this team. I just love being part of a group of people who want to go somewhere as a team."

Hartley was made the captain of England after the World Cup debacle in 2015 and he immediately made an impact under Eddie Jones winning the Grand Slam for the first time in 13 years.

On Saturday, Hartley will have another chance to create history by registering England's maiden Test victory in Australia after having won the first Test in Brisbane.

"This is our cup final and we have a chance to be the first team ever to do this. Has there been a mind-set shift? Definitely," Hartley said.

"It starts from the top and it filters down through myself to the senior players and through the 32.

"It's not just the players, all the staff are doing the best they can to make sure we're prepared for this weekend.

"It was nice to do that in Brisbane but the bigger picture, the real history, is to be made this week and that is the challenge and opportunity for us. It is really exciting."