Former England and Lions star Guscott is a BBC rugby union pundit
The big freeze all but obliterated the rugby union schedule this weekend, with only two games surviving the big freeze. In the Premiership, defending champions Leicester were in ruthless mood as their pack destroyed Wasps at Welford Road, while Edinburgh ended their recent slump by beating Cardiff Blues in the Magners League. Looking forward to the week to come the Heineken Cup returns at the weekend and on Wednesday England announce their revised Elite Player Squad for the Six Nations. If you have a question for BBC Sport rugby union expert Jerry, you can submit it by using the form in the top right-hand corner of the page. He will answer as many as possible early next week, while this week's answers are below.
Jerry, with the EPS squad announcement on Wednesday, who do you think should make up the changes and why? I would like to see Dan Cole get a shout with Phil Vickery out and Geoff Parling come in for Louis Deacon. I would like to see Shontayne Hape given a go to extend our depth in the 12 shirt and Danny Cipriani in based solely on his performance at the weekend. I would also like to see Ben Foden given a shout despite the standard of his basics. Alex Skitt, England
Tight-head prop Cole was man of the match as Leicester battered Wasps
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You saw Tigers youngsters Dan Cole and Ben Youngs come through on Saturday, in nothing less than a blinder of a performance. All credit to the pack, and Youngs for creating a great link between backs and forwards. What do you make of their chances in the EPS on Wednesday? Ellyo, England Alex and Ellyo, I like the look of Cole, he has been very impressive for Leicester, not just in the scrum but also around the park. There is no doubt he is young and inexperienced and he has very little European experience, which means he has not been tested by French front rows yet. But he will be learning from the best, training at the Tigers with Martin Castrogiovanni and Julian White, and given the current situation with England, I'd have to say why not? I would not disagree with his inclusion. As for Hape, I don't think he has yet fulfilled his potential. His ability has not been fully brought out by Bath but he also needs to do it himself, because he's got the talent. Maybe if he practised with the full England squad that talent might become more apparent - I'm all for giving him a go. I don't think Cipriani is ready to dominate a game and he needs to have done that consistently for a few matches before he is recalled. Toby Flood and Jonny Wilkinson will be England's two main fly-halves. Youngs produced a very good performance at the weekend and he's certainly been catching the eye, but is he better than the likes of current England scrum-halves Danny Care and Paul Hodgson? I don't think so personally. Sometimes you can see the talent in a young player - and Youngs and the injured Joe Simpson clearly have talent - but they need to show over a year or so that they have the mentality to play at the highest level. In addition to that you just can't put too many youngsters into a poor team, which is what England are at the moment. Do you think Chris Ashton deserves a call-up to the England Elite Squad and if so, should he be in the starting line-up against Wales? Ashley, England Ashley, unfortunately for Chris Ashton he is scoring tries for a Northampton team that is playing completely differently to how England play. Normally if you're scoring tries and making headlines you're in with a shout but England boss Martin Johnson is not a man who likes too much change. Explain to me why Martin Johnson does not pick any of the bright young talent, in preparation for the World Cup, when some of these players are better than the current squad. Sean, England Hi Jerry, do you think that Martin Johnson will play with a safety team or go with the youngsters like Mathew Tait, Courtney Lawes, David Strettle etc and play with some inventiveness and flair? Let's face it, youngsters are the way forward especially leading up to a World Cup! Jacob Hill, UK Sean and Jacob, Johnson will stick pretty much with what he had in the autumn, plus a few guys coming back from injury. After all, if Johnson sticks with Steve Borthwick when 90% of people don't think he should even be in the side, let alone captain, it means he is cultivating something, even if none of us can see it. He's not likely to start picking a load of youngsters now. Jeremy, if the England coaching team were to quit (or more likely be fired) after the Six Nations, who would be your choice to take on the job? Do you think the likes of Jim Mallinder, Trevor Woodman and Toby Booth deserve a role somewhere, and would you look overseas at people like Eddie Jones or Jake White? Alistair, England
Lockyer could help point the way to a better England team
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Alistair, I think Toby Booth would be an excellent choice, along with Mike Catt, and I would look at someone like the Aussie rugby league captain Darren Lockyer to come in and do the defence - he would be brilliant in attack as well. I also like the analysis of Phil Clarke doing the rugby league for Sky and think he would be good to get involved in some way. Now that the Blues have signed Dan Parks do you think that they will be better equipped to win the tight games they have been losing due to his reliable points scoring? I think he's a really under-rated, if not particularly exciting player. Paul, Wales I think they will be better equipped because he is more aligned to how (former Blues fly-half Nicky Robinson) played than Sam Norton-Knight, and that is what they have missed more than anything - a consistent, steady number 10. Hi Jeremy. As I am a Tigers supporter I am delighted that we are on top of the table. But speaking to other rugby fans they seem to think that we are a team that revolves around the pack. What do you make of that comment? James Standen, England James, given the tries and who's scored them for Leicester this season it's hard not to agree with the other fans. Why have Australia been able to churn out so many quality players, when there are only four professional rugby union teams in the country? The Sydney club scene compares to Scotland's in terms of size of crowds, yet there is a level of desire and skill that British players don't seem to have. Why do you think this is? Ian, Australia Ian, I imagine Australian kids play a lot of outdoor sports and when I think of rugby union, league and Aussie rules there are a lot of similarities. Playing all these sports at a young age will give you an edge over those that don't. Why would you say that New Zealand has dominated rugby for so long when it is a country with so few people. It cannot be because the country has a rugby culture because so do Wales and South Africa. Sam, England
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I ran over the try line and dived for the score... straight into a massive puddle. The cold hit me almost immediately - it was as if I had just jumped into the North Sea
Jerry on the perils of winter rugby
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Sam, in my view New Zealand is dominated by rugby whereas South Africa and Wales are not dominated by the sport as much. For me New Zealand must be ahead in the coaching of minis and juniors and this becomes apparent when you watch how well drilled the Kiwi forwards are and how good they all are technically. Every time I drag myself away from work at 5pm on a cold/wet/windy/sleeting (combine as applicable) Scottish evening for training, knowing that I'll be hitting tackle bags until my ear hurts, I wonder again why rugby in the UK isn't a summer game. And every time I cycle to training in the late evening sunshine of an April evening, looking forward to firm surfaces, fast, accurate handling skills and enough light to see the ball properly, I wonder again why rugby in the UK isn't a summer game. Are these two thoughts related? Malc, Scotland Malc, can't believe a Scotsman is whinging about the weather, you must be what most forwards would call a rugby groupie... a three-quarter?! Jeremy, with all the fixture cancellations that have happened over the past few weeks, do you not think rugby should have a mid-season break from the start of December until the end of January? This would still leave enough time for preparation for the Six Nations. Sandy, Scotland Sandy, we have seen extreme weather conditions lately that are so rare I really don't think we need to make any adjustments to the season's timetable. Do you think Stuart Barnes was unlucky to win only 10 caps for England? Thomas Ross, Kent Thomas, he was very unlucky, his career coincided with Rob Andrew and at that time the selectors preferred the more consistent and predictable play of Andrew. On the other hand, I'm sure there are people who would say he was lucky to get 10 caps! Jerry, in your opinion who is the greatest player of the decade and why? John Lillis, Ireland John, a very good question but difficult to answer. It would be a difficult choice for me between Martin Johnson, Richie McCaw, Dan Carter and Brian O'Driscoll. Hi Jeremy, I am 14 and play flanker. I have been played at six and seven this season, however I am more used to playing six. Should my game change for each position? Sam, England
The versatile Lewis Moody can play both six and seven
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Sam, I think it's good you can play both six and seven, that should give you a good appreciation of what other players need and do in different positions. The roles are completely different when you consider your position from scrum and line-out but in the loose they are similar. Watch the number sevens in the Six Nations and compare what they do with what the blind-sides do, that should give you a good picture of how different the roles are. If you can record the matches then it will be easier to analyse what the number sixes and sevens do. Jeremy, what team in the Guinness Premiership would you most like to play for if you could at this moment in time? Motty, England Motty, it would have to be London Irish or Northampton - both teams have good number 10s who have good passes. For me Irish just sneak it because of their balance - they have plenty of size and pace. To play outside Seilala Mapusua and inside Sailosi Tagicakibau and Delon Armitage would be exciting. Jerry can you remember a time in your own career when this many games were called off because of snow? Also, what are the worst conditions you ever played a game in? Luke, England Luke, I played in a game against Bristol at the Rec many years ago, there had been a lot of rain and it was freezing cold. I was going through a phase of scoring tries a la rugby league... ie giving it a full dive once over the tryline. In this game I ran over the try line and towards the posts and then dived for the score... straight into a massive puddle, which I pretty much surfed along. When I came to a stop the cold hit me almost immediately. I went from the elation of scoring to thinking what a plonker I was diving to score - it was as if I had just jumped into the North Sea.
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