Andy Gomarsall England scrum-half

Andy Gomarsall will line up at scrum-half for England against Italy on Sunday as Brian Ashton's team try to get their RBS Six Nations campaign back on track.

The Harlequins star took time out of his preparations to answer your questions posted on 606.

Q: How will England bounce back from the defeat by Wales and deal with the weight of expectation to beat Italy?
DaiMoggs81

A: We want to play some fantastic rugby and fire on all cylinders, and get the dangerous players we have in the team on the ball. And we absolutely have to finish chances better than we have been doing - that's the key thing.

It might not all come together in the first half, but we need to convert the pressure into points better than we did against Wales. There were glimpses of that, but we're evolving in that respect and we need to step it up again. There's always expectation every time you play for England and Sunday will be no different at all.

Q: Brian Ashton says there are a few "very angry men" in the England squad after the defeat by Wales last week. Are you one of them? And how painful was it to watch the video of the match?
Bryn Palmer, BBC Sport

A: It was not pleasant to watch the tape but, by the end, the response was that there was so much to be positive about and we couldn't let this deter us from what we're trying to do.

I was very, very angry and upset about the result. I was quite down about it for a little while but the great thing about this squad is that we have this ability to turn it around. We know - like we did it in the World Cup - and can do it very, very quickly.

It's now up to us as players to put that right. Just when you think it's going well, a game like that smacks you round the chops and makes you up the ante again. You need that bit of anger to push you forward and put that pressure on each other to be as good as you can be.

Q: How impressive is Lesley Vainikolo? Everyone saw what he can do in terms of pace and hands when he set up Toby Flood against Wales. What else does he offer?
WaspLad

A: I'm massively impressed. We're only halfway through his first season in the sport and he's already making a big impact in training and in matches. Everything I've seen of him tells me that he is a special player.

It's up to the rest of us to be able to get a wonderful talent into the game in the right areas so we can see what a devastating ball carrier and off-loader he is. He's a brilliant addition to the squad and I'm very excited about what he can do on Sunday.

Q: Do you have any regrets about leaving Gloucester given how well they are have done over the last few seasons?
next-nicco

A: It was a very tough decision for me, but it was a non-rugby decision so in that respect I made the right one.

It seems weird to say that, because they are very successful. It was a decision I took with my family in mind rather than my career and I have no regrets whatsoever. I miss Gloucester, the boys and the fans - it is and will remain a fantastic club, but there is more to life than rugby.

Q: Do you feel under pressure for your place? Some England fans seem to think Harry Ellis will come straight back in when he's fit.
gleisionfarmer2008

A: There's never been a day when I haven't felt under pressure for my place when I've been involved with England.

You have to be on top of your game all the time because if you aren't, someone else will be. It's a fact of life and you have to deal with it, and I have to admit that I didn't deal with that well early in my international career. But I can take a more mature view of it now and just keep my head down and get on with it.

Q: Could you tell me what your week's build-up is to a Six Nations game?
jonerzzz

A: There are lots of team things you need to practise so we start with defence, and do our homework on the opposition as a group and develop our defensive strategy. Then we work on our attack, learning our game plan and the moves that we are going to build into that and what each player's role is in within each of those moves. We practise all week and try to get our basics perfect.

Then every game needs a different mental approach, depending on the situation. In this case we all want a backlash from the weekend and that needs a particular mindset. The closer the game gets, the more the adrenaline pumps and the more emotional you get. I really enjoy the day before a Test match - with experience you deal with nerves better. I still get nervous and it always surprises me a little, but you just do whatever you have to to make sure your head is right.

Q: Who do you think will be the scrum-halves England take to the 2011 Rugby World Cup? And who was the best scrum-half you ever played against and why?
Sam

A: Assuming it's not going to be me going to New Zealand (!) and dependent on injury, I would say Harry Ellis. It would be a great shame if he wasn't around, and I'm sure he'll come back from his injury.

I'd say Peter Richards as well and also my Harlequins team-mate Danny Care. Part of my role at the club is to bring him through and I think he's going to be a fantastic talent for the future. He's shown glimpses of that already this season and he just needs to get more experience.

In terms of the best opponent I've ever played against, it has to be George Gregan. To come up against him in the World Cup and get the result we got was a huge honour for me. He's an absolute legend and an icon of the game - to stay at the top for the long is just amazing.

Q: Why is it that we are seeing so many injuries in the game?
GirlfanLondon

A: I think there's always been injuries, but people pay more attention now because the game is so much more high-profile and popular than it used to be. Because everyone is so much fitter, the injuries can be so much worse and people can be out for a long, long time. The serious injuries, the career-threatening injuries used to be few and far between but now there's one or two of them a year.

It's sad for the game but it's the nature of it. It's a pretty brutal industry these days. I don't think there's a lot that can be done about it, to be honest.

But what is important is the care that people get afterwards really needs to be looked at. It's on its way but it's crucial that anyone who suffers through illness or injury should be looked after by the PRA's benevolent fund. I think a lot more could be done though, and I hope it is.

Q: Have you made plans for what you're going to do when you eventually retire?
Phil Harlow, BBC Sport

A: I'm giving it a lot of thought at the moment. Clearly I don't have many years left as a player so it's important I now work out what I'm going to do.

I was very fortunate to be able to go to university and be offered a contract by Wasps in my third year of studying marketing management at Oxford Brookes.

My rugby career took off very quickly which was lucky, but the flipside is that I have no experience of other fields outside of rugby and that makes it that much harder now to establish a new career.

Coaching has always interested me, and I think I have got a lot to offer off the field. I'm doing my coaching courses at the moment but I'm also quite keen to look at other avenues and see if there's life outside of rugby. I'd like to stay in sport, but we'll see what happens.