Former England and Lions star Guscott is BBC rugby union pundit

It is still very early in the season but already a few common themes are developing.

Among the main topics attracting your attention this week are England's troublesome midfield, the increasing amount of aimless kicking in the game and whether or not Steve Borthwick is the right man to captain England.

Jerry also reveals who his hardest opponent was, offers his views on the recent improvement in Scottish rugby and mulls the odds on Gavin Henson ever returning to action.

If you have a question for Jerry you can submit it by using the form in the top right hand corner of the page and he will answer as many as possible next week.

What are your thoughts on England's backline for the Autumn Tests. With Delon Armitage and Riki Flutey both injured who will fill the problem positions of 12, 13 and 15? Should England opt for a midfield of 10 Jonny Wilkinson, 12 Shane Geraghty and 13 Mathew Tait?
Steve Fuller, England

Jonny Wilkinson seems almost rubberstamped at fly-half. England coach Martin Johnson knows him really well and there is no substitute for experience.

Wilkinson is the second-highest points scorer in the Top 14 this season

By all accounts he's playing well at his new French club Toulon, he's found his kicking boots again, and at international level having someone who can keep the scoreboard ticking over is invaluable.

Flutey will be missed. He hit good form for England at the end of last season and played very well in the last Test for the Lions, so it's disappointing he's injured.

The midfield Steve mentions of Wilkinson, Geraghty and Tait would be almost the dream scenario.

I'm a great fan of Tait's and he's been forgotten for too long, but having said that I look at that midfield three and see a slight weakness in defence, in terms of size.

We all know how well Wilkinson can tackle but both Geraghty and Tait could be singled out by the opposition to run at.

I think that if Mike Tindall finds some form between now and the first game, against Australia on 7 November, then the midfield three will be Wilkinson, Geraghty and Tindall.

The full-back position could be taken by Ben Foden. I might be completely wrong, because Ugo Monye has been playing reasonably well at full-back for Harlequins, but as we all know the international scene is completely different.

We have enough wingers, which is why Monye might go there, but I would go for someone like Foden, because I think he is a like for like replacement with Armitage and it's always good to have an attack-minded full-back.

Danny Cipriani is capable of playing there but he has to prove to Johnson - and the players - that his defence is up to international rugby.

Whereas Tindall has to prove he is in form, Cipriani has to prove he can tackle and defend. If he does that he's in with a shout but at the moment he's in the Saxons squad and it might be difficult for him.

Jerry, do you think that there is far too much aimless kicking in the game now?
Maldwyn James, Wales

The aimless kicking is frustrating to watch and the reason for it is a lack of ambition from sides.

There is a directive from all the coaches - don't be caught with the ball behind your forwards.

It is far easier to kick it back down the throats of the opposition and make them decide what to do with it.

If it continues for the rest of the season then we need to look at ways of preventing it.

A good suggestion is allowing a kick to be marked if it is caught between the 22m and the 10m line - I think that's a great suggestion.

We just have to be careful we don't eliminate attacking kicks. Chips over the top, grubber kicks and the Garryowen - a kick which sees two or more people going up and competing for the ball - all have their place in the game.

Once a team starts punishing aimless kicking then it will stop - it's just a phase we're going through but it's something that has to be looked at very closely and if it continues we have to look at ways of changing it.

Is Steve Borthwick the right man to captain England?
Seosamh, Ireland

I don't want to avoid the question, but you have to ask 'who else would be suitable to 1) replace Borthwick in the second row and 2) to be captain?'

Borthwick is considered a safe pair of hands by England

Martin Johnson made the decision very early that Borthwick was the man to captain the side.

When you look at the second row issue I'm a big fan of Nick Kennedy's - he's been the best line-out forward in England for the past three or four seasons, although I think he just loses a bit in the loose.

If you look at the way Simon Shaw performed on the Lions tour then he picks himself.

It is hard to know how much longer he is going to be around and whether Johnson can nurse him through to the next World Cup, but at the moment he is the best option.

I would pick Shaw as front jumper and Kennedy as the middle jumper but then who's going to captain the side?

What is hard for us to see from the outside are the leadership qualities Borthwick brings to that England squad.

Something must be working because if he did not have respect from people in the squad it would have leaked out.

My view is that there is no stand-out candidate to replace him as captain.

Would they go back to Wilkinson, which didn't last very long the first time because of his injury, or do you go for some new, like Danny Care?

With the latter you have to ask if he will he even get in the side because Paul Hodgson from London Irish is pushing him very hard - do we make Hodgson captain?

What we have to remember is England finished off the Six Nations OK last season, coming second.

The summer tour wasn't a disaster against Argentina - let's see how they perform in November and then if necessary we can discuss other possibilities for the captaincy.

Hi Jeremy, we never seem to get a chance to hear your thoughts on the Magners League and particularly the recent rise in fortunes of the two Scottish pro teams. With Andy Robinson at the helm would you agree that it finally seems like the tide is turning for Scottish rugby fans and what would be a realistic expectation for our Heineken cup games and Autumn tests over the next couple of months?
Fin Morrison, Scotland

It's good to see the two Scottish sides doing well, although I watched Edinburgh v the Ospreys on Sunday and they were well beaten.

But Glasgow thrashed Cardiff Blues at the weekend in Wales, so they're in good form for the Heineken Cup.

Glasgow are with Biarritz, Gloucester and Newport in the Heineken Cup. It's going to be a hard group for them.

Edinburgh are in with Bath, Stade Francais and Ulster. There's only going to be one team going through from both those groups and Edinburgh and Glasgow are going to have to win their home games if they are to have any chance.

If they win at home it becomes a question of who has the mental strength to win away from home and pinch points on the road.

Scotland's problem recently has been scoring tries. Technically they're good, it's just they have struggled to get over the line and with Andy Robinson taking over with his winning mentality, and Gregor Townsend taking over the backs, we might see a rise in confidence and a rise in the number of tries being scored.

Robinson, along with Townsend, might be the inspiration Scotland need.

Jeremy, looking ahead to this weekend of European Cup rugby, which English clubs do you feel will mount a serious challenge this year? Obviously Leicester will be up there, but do you feel the time has come for Bath to once again challenge come May? London Irish, with the rugby they are playing, will surely be a threat. Can Northampton, Gloucester or Sale be consistent enough to get out of their difficult pools? Andy, Ireland

Leicester will mount a serious challenge. They have experience, know what it takes to win and Welford Road is an extremely hard place to go and win.

606: DEBATE What do you make of Jerry's views this week? JS

London Irish are one of the better English teams but they are in a tough group alongside champions Leinster, and only one team will go through.

Leinster demolished Munster at the weekend so they're ready and they are London Irish's first opponents in Dublin.

All the English teams are in hard groups but I would expect Leicester, Northampton - two should go through from their group - and Bath will reach the knock-out stages.

I am disappointed by the news that rolling subs are being considered. Do you think this is a good idea and how much will the subs effect the flow of the game?
Ben Eggleshaw, England

On a player welfare basis I think it's a good idea because we're looking after their bodies, keeping them fresh and it should avoid an increase in injuries because of overwork.

Speaking as a lover of the game I'm disappointed because the game is partly about how fit you are with a limited number of players in your team.

When I look now at eight subs I kind of think it's defeating one part of the game - the attritional aspect - but I think safety concerns override that.

I'd love to see fewer replacements but I think for health and safety reasons that's no longer an option - without the players we don't have a game.

But in an ideal would I'd prefer not to have rolling subs.

Do you think Gavin Henson will ever play rugby again for club or country?
Ian, UK

I think at some stage he will. I hope he does and I'd love him to come back but he has to rediscover his passion for the game. His love for the game has disappeared for the time being.

I believe his talent is being missed. It's a much better game with Gavin Henson playing than without him, only Gavin knows why he's not playing and it's a great shame that he's not there.

I'm sure he will come back because what he first loved in the game I'm sure he will rediscover and want to play again, whether it's in Wales or in another country.

Hi Jeremy, who is the hardest or toughest rugby player you have every come up against? Thanks.
John Viney, Somerset, England

Jonah Lomu would be the hardest player I've played against. He was an incredible athlete and an incredible player on his day who was almost impossible to stop.

In 1995 in the World Cup he pretty much demolished us single-handedly.

Matt Perry did tackle him a couple of times though at Twickenham, which just goes to show if you've got the technique and you've got the right frame of mind anything and everything is possible.

He has signed for French club Marseille Vitrolles and although we've seen his best years, to see him on a rugby pitch again will be exciting.

In terms of the centres I played directly against, Philippe Sella would be the hardest.

How can I describe being tackled by him? If you imagine a telephone box filled with concrete being swung on the jib of a crane on a hundred-foot long piece of wire and slamming into you, that would come close. He knew exactly where your soft spots were and he hit the target every time.

Jerry Guscott was talking to BBC Sport's James Standley

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