England hooker Dylan Hartley has revealed that he has changed his lifestyle in order to focus solely on becoming the best rugby player he can be.

England's World Cup campaign was dogged with off-field controversies, including a night of drinking games in which Hartley cited as one of the main offenders, but the Northampton captain insists that that is all behind him now and he is entirely focused on his rugby.

"I haven't had a drink in a long time now. I started thinking about the Six Nations back in November and I have been fully focused on being in the best possible shape to compete in this team," said the 25-year-old.

"The way things went [at the World Cup] it was a good time to refocus my career and look at things I could do differently. As a leader of this group I needed to set an example, change the way I was doing things.

"I looked at my training and using my time a lot better and the gains I have had from that have been rewarding. There are a lot of distractions that come your way but as a player and a person you have to filter those out and think what is best for you. Rugby is who you are. That is why I am where I am. You need to make sure you have enough time to focus on your rugby."

England currently have two wins from two in the Six Nations, but face a tough test against Wales at Twickenham on Saturday.