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Ask Jeremy Guscott

By Jeremy GuscottFormer England and Lions centre

Last updated on .From the section Rugby Unioncomments89

Chris Robshaw

Among the topics making the headlines this week are:

- Chris Robshaw's appointment as England captain for the autumn internationals

- Gloucester pair Freddie Burns and Billy Twelvetrees being added to the England squad

- Ireland losing Stephen Ferris for the autumn internationals after the Ulster flanker suffered an ankle injury

- London Welsh, tipped for Premiership relegation, winning yet again

- Saracens drawing level on points with Harlequins at the top of the Premiership

- Unbeaten Ulster making it seven wins out of seven in the Pro12

If you have a question for Jerry, on any rugby-related topic, post it in the comments section at the bottom of the page. He will answer as many as possible but not every question submitted can be used.

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89 comments

  • Comment posted by Cardiff Boy, at 21:39 4 Nov 2012

    Hi Jeremy,
    The lions selectors normally provide a surprise or two when the squad is announced. Prior to the autumn internationals and Six Nations, can you predict any players that might emerge as dark horse candidates?
    Tipuric and Wade are two who, as long as Wales and England respectively give them a chance over the next few months, would be my picks.

  • Comment posted by Josh C, at 20:41 4 Nov 2012

    Hi Jerry,
    Would you consider Saracens go into a game looking to conceed less than the opposition than score more than them? If so, why is that the English back line looks to be heavily dominated with Saracens players (may not all start but - Farrell, Aston, Barritt, Goode) when Lancaster said they wanted to play a expansive game, very unlike Saracens.

  • Comment posted by U14429754, at 20:24 4 Nov 2012

    Hi Jerry, do you think the value of penalties should fall and the value of tries should increase to increase the levels of attacking rugby? Gloucester kicked 20 of their 25 points and Saracens kicked 8 penalties for example- neither showing any attacking intent

  • Comment posted by TheLastKingOfEngland, at 13:04 5 Nov 2012

    @73 I have to agree that it was written to spark debate. No one is going to pick Cipriani to start unless they're looking to start tounges wagging.

  • Comment posted by ayrtonsenna, at 12:26 5 Nov 2012

    Falcons - real deal under Richards or just thrashing poor opposition?

    Off topic - most disappointing England squad since MJ world cup announcement. My XV:

    Marler
    Paice
    Cole
    Lawes (if fit)
    Botha
    Robshaw (c)
    Saull / Armitage
    Eater
    Care
    Cipriani
    Wade
    Tuilagi
    Joseph
    Ashton
    Brown

    Subs

    Mullan
    Gray / Youngs
    Launchbury
    Wood
    Youngs
    Flood
    Armitage

  • Comment posted by Mr_Wood, at 11:44 5 Nov 2012

    Hi Jerry, I was wondering whether you think Wales could play the talented young tight-head Samson Lee, in the autumn internationals, or whether his position demands more experience than, say, a young flier on the wing. I was also wondering whether you would tip any other breakthrough stars to catch the eye for the home nations in the AIs? Gareth, Wales

  • Comment posted by mikesix, at 10:48 5 Nov 2012

    Jerry,
    So far you have predicted LW losing in all 8 weeks although I have noticed you are a bit more conservative in how much by. Now that they have won 3 times and been coming close in other games, can you ever see yourself predicting a LW victory?
    PS Please keep predicting losses as I think it is the underdog title that lets us do so well

  • Comment posted by Ben Davy, at 09:48 5 Nov 2012

    Hi Jerry,
    With London Welsh doing far better than anyone thought they would do this season have you reconsidered your views on promotion and relegation? I know your not a fan, but without it we wouldn’t have had this surprising and interesting story to the season.
    Thanks Ben

  • Comment posted by U14429754, at 21:07 4 Nov 2012

    Hi Jerry, having watched both Burns and Twelvetrees on Saturday, I thought they were nowhere near international standard, will they make a difference?

  • Comment posted by U14429754, at 20:54 4 Nov 2012

    Hi Jerry, with the likes of Quins, Leicester and sarries losing a large proportion of their squads in the autumn and spring, do you think it's fair to play premiership rounds during these periods?

  • Comment posted by U14979597, at 20:14 4 Nov 2012

    Great news that London Welsh have pulled through another game with a W, which starts to look a little precarious for Sale if they can keep it up, and no reason why they shouldnt!
    I would be very interested to see how the Championship develops if Sale or Irish go down and Bedford beat the Falcons in the play off, giving 2 established clubs along with Bristol giving us 2 exciting leagues!

  • Comment posted by U15490761, at 19:16 4 Nov 2012

    Hi Jerry- A tough question for you to know or answer. Do you the think the rugby world cup will one day move to 32 teams, and if so do you think it will be rugby world cup in Japan 2019. Because rugby is booming globally and a lot of countries teams are getting better. is the depth there by 2019. eg teams like, Belguim , Portugal, Spain in 7 years will they be ready.

  • Comment posted by Bruce Almighty, at 19:08 4 Nov 2012

    Hi Jerry - following London Welsh's performances to date, do you feel confident enough to predict they will survive relegation this season or do you feel the jury is still out? I might remind you that in Exeter's first season at this same stage you had bravely predicted they would survive and LW have the same points they did....

  • Comment posted by The Codfather, at 00:19 6 Nov 2012

    @ Josh C I'm afraid that I have not included Cipriani in my team anywhere...? Not even as a sub

  • Comment posted by Josh C, at 21:44 5 Nov 2012

    'The codfather' - clueless. You have put Cipriani in that team obviously based on his performances beofre going to play for the Rebels which was very inconsistent. If you are basing it on since he came back, he has had a couple of good perfromances but nothing more and was at one point, behind macloed at Sale. If you want a real raw talented attacking fly half then go with burns.

  • Comment posted by Come on Wales, at 18:23 5 Nov 2012

    @85
    The feeding is terrible... But London Welsh did win 2 against the head on Sunday vs Bath.

  • Comment posted by U15274226, at 17:12 5 Nov 2012

    Agree on scrum feed. The only way to win against the head seems to be if opposition scrum half forgets left from right.

  • Comment posted by U4111345, at 16:54 5 Nov 2012

    @83 - Yup. Seems to me the IRB et al are happy to have new laws concerning offsides, tackles, double movements, 10m spaces, mauls etc to 'make RU better for spectators'. But they ignore one of the fundamental elements that makes rugby union what it is (and no disrespect - but different from RL). We were all taught straight feeds at school... Scrums are an exciting, integral part of the game...

  • Comment posted by OnlyJoeQuin, at 16:11 5 Nov 2012

    @78 I don't know about Guscott but I for one completely agree with you about straight feeds. I don't know when I saw the last one and all the refs in the world can't have missed every single one so it must be down to wilfully ignoring it. Could you imagine if a ref did call it in a game these days? The scrum halves & hookers wouldn't know what to do.

  • Comment posted by BBC Sport, at 15:54 5 Nov 2012

    Afternoon all, thanks for all your questions for Jerry this week.

    Submissions are now closed and his answers will appear within the next 24 hours, in the meantime feel free to carry on any debates currently raging.

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