Andy Gomarsall Axed England scrum-half

Q: How did you feel when your Harlequins team-mate Danny Care was picked in the England training squad ahead of you?
James Standley, BBC Sport

A: I was genuinely delighted for him. It could be seen I wasn't going to be picked anyway so I was happy for Danny to be involved and get the experience. It was the first time he had been involved so it was just a great experience for him.

Care has been in superb form for Harlequins this season

I need to get back to my high standards and get playing again. Unfortunately it's not happening at the moment, so I've just got to be patient - my time will come again, no doubt.

I'm just involved with Quins at the moment and have to try to keep my form going.

I've had an incredible year and I've got no grumbles whatsoever - it's time for reflection for me at the moment, to set new goals and kick on.

Q: As someone who has had to bounce back from disappointment many times and succeeded, what tips do have for motivation, inspiration and determination?
Gunner_Australia

A: You have got to have a lot of self-belief. People mistake that for arrogance, but it's not - it's just a case of knowing you are good at your specific job - self-belief is ingrained in top sportsmen.

Over my career I have realised that you might not fit the bill for some coaches. It takes experience to realise it is not actually you, it is more that they are looking for a different type of player.

It makes it very hard to make it in sport - a lot of young guys coming through can become very down when they are not selected. You have to believe in your own ability and when one door closes you have to go and find another one which is open.

Q: I was wondering what you think about what seem to be double standards regarding line-outs and scrums. Line-outs have to be straight and if not the team throwing in is penalised.

But, and as a scrum-half I'm sure you're aware, at scrums the ball's never placed down the middle and sometimes almost fed into the second row. It just seems bizarre to me that one rule can be broken and the other can't.
mattyd25

A: At the end of the day, it's up to the officials. Referees and law makers tend to become stricter from season to season on different rules and for one year they were very tight on putting the ball in straight at scrums.

But it's not necessarily that easy - sometimes the scrum can wheel and make it look like it has not gone down the middle when you have tried to put it in straight.

That is not to say we are always innocent - clearly sometimes we are not - but it can be difficult for referees. There is so much going on in a scrum sometimes they can forget to look at the ball being put in.

Referees normally tell us before a game to put the ball in straight and as long as you are not taking the mickey then play will go on. People just want to see you get on with it so the game can flow.

It can be harsh for hookers at the line-out on a windy day but it is difficult for referees and there is always going to be a debate.

Q: Andy, did I see you at Wembley at the Carling Cup final in the Spurs end? I play rugby... I'm not just a footballer who has logged in specifically to ask this! Do I take it, therefore that you're a Spurs fan? What a day!
TommyLuck

A: Yes, it was me, and I am a Spurs fan. It was the weekend of the England v France game, which was on the Saturday. I had hoped to be playing in that and fly back on the Sunday and go straight to Wembley for the game.

Tottenham players celebrate their Carling Cup victory at Wembley

I managed to get two tickets and wanted to take the England physio Barney Kenny, who is a Spurs fan as well, but then, of course, I didn't get picked.

Harlequins were playing on the Sunday, which would have meant I couldn't go to Wembley, but they had already picked the team without me in it because they didn't know I'd be available.

The plan was to go to the Spurs game and then on to the Quins game later on, but unfortunately Spurs did not finish Chelsea off until extra-time! It was a great day and a great weekend because Quins won, England won and Spurs won.

Q: I'm a young back-row player and am always being told to put as much pressure on the half-backs as possible. On television I often see the forwards in the ruck moving the ball to the scrum-half with their hands.

I've always been told that as soon as the ball is touched, you can move up in the defensive line, so is the ball in play if that happens?
bestrugbyplayerever

A: You have to be very clever in that you have to play to the referee. Something I'd do if I were you is speak to the referee before the game and ask his opinion on whether you can do it.

If he says that when a player puts a hand on the ball it is out, then you can smash either that player or, if it has been passed to the scrum-half, then you can hit him.

It's a very tricky area and referees can interpret it differently. What you are taught to do is move forwards in the ruck. Therefore the ball ends up between your legs, so the scrum-half can get it without being touched, but sometimes that does not happen and it gets played back by people using their hands because there is such a pile-up.

If a player puts his hands on the ball to push it back I would be very cautious about then going and hitting the scrum-half, because I don't think that ball is out and you'd be in danger of giving a penalty away.

I occasionally place my hand on the ball when it emerges from a ruck to put it in a good position to pass. But I remember playing against Italy and the referee, Alain Roland, told me that if I did that then they could come and get me - he told me to use my foot instead.

I think the key thing is that if the player is looking to attack with the ball and has his hand on it then you can go and hit him, but if it's not then you're on dangerous ground.

Andy Gomarsall was talking to BBC Sport's James Standley