Former England and Lions star Guscott is BBC rugby union pundit

It's been a busy week for rugby union with the seven-a-side version's inclusion in the Olympics as rugby returns for the first time since 1924 and the reappearance of the Heineken Cup.

Other topics you have raised are the best candidate for the England number eight shirt, and the length of bans handed out to the likes of Schalk Burger, Olivier Azam and John Hayes.

Jerry also reveals the best try he ever scored, tells a Gloucester fan that, yes, he is just being paranoid, and reassures a correspondent from the Emerald Isle that, no, he doesn't hate the Irish.

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.

How important is it for rugby union that the sevens format is in the Olympics, and will this result in a British and Irish Lions rugby sevens team?
Meurig, Wales

There can't be a British and Irish Lions team because the Republic of Ireland is a separate country and will field its own team, but there will be a combined team representing Great Britain and Northern Ireland.

It is fantastic news that rugby union is back in the Olympics. Everyone who has retired from the sport, me included, would love to have played in the Olympics. The opportunity to win a gold medal is brilliant.

It is also really good news for the grass roots of the game because as an Olympic sport I think it guarantees you government funding to help development and that is crucial for any sport.

That's great news because development at the mini and junior level is the future of our sport.

Providing James Haskell gets back to his best form would he ever be considered as a number eight for England?
Bhu Gurung, UK

With Nick Easter's strong performances pretty much nailing him the eight shirt, who do you think is most likely to support him at six and seven?
Micky Hutton, England

I am not a huge fan of Nick Easter's style of rugby. For me a number eight needs to be a footballer like Zinzan Brooke.

Haskell and Easter are contenders for England's back row

Easter fulfils some of those criteria because he has good hands and can distribute but I feel he is a little unfit and predictable.

There's nothing necessarily wrong with that - you always knew how Dean Richards was going to play but you still couldn't stop him.

But I don't think Easter is the long-term answer for England.

As for Haskell, I'm not sure where his head is.

When he was playing for Wasps on the blind-side and they were winning Premierships and Heineken Cups he was phenomenal, a real athlete.

Then all of a sudden we started hearing about Brand Haskell before he had any real credentials - you have got to become an exceptional rugby player to even consider becoming a brand.

He's become lost in the off-field activities and he needs to get his act together with Stade Francais.

He has been showing signs of getting things together and I'm looking forward to seeing first-hand how he plays when Bath host Stade Francais on Sunday.

There are a number of players in contention for number eight and open-side, where Lewis Moody, Steffon Armitage and Joe Worsley spring to mind - but Tom Croft is nailed on for blind-side.

You can build teams around players and I would start my back-row selection by picking Croft and working out who is going to complement him best to get the most out of him.

Easter might be that man because he is a grafter or it might be Jordan Crane, but Croft needs freedom and you have to get the ball in his hands more than Easter's.

How does Olivier Azam get a 12-week ban for a frustrated accidental kick and Schalk Burger only get eight weeks for a blatant, malicious gouge?
Bob, England

Do you think the six-week ban given to John Hayes is somewhat lenient?
Owain Jones, Wales

The frustrating thing about all these disciplinary matters is the inconsistency.

When you start bringing in mitigations, saying 'he's a nice guy, his disciplinary record is good', well we're not banning them for life, they do get a second chance.

Azam protested his innocence in the Borthwick incident

I find it inconceivable that John Hayes gets six weeks for a stamp on the face while Olivier Azam gets 12 weeks for kicking an opponent's head with his boot because they are poles apart.

I don't understand it and find it very frustrating. Hayes isn't going to argue while Azam feels hard done by because he's been banned for twice as long for a similar offence.

There is no room for eye-gouging or kicking people in the face and I have to say I thought these sort of incidents would have gone from the game a long time ago.

The Schalk Burger gouging incident against the Lions in the summer was absolutely horrific.

I find it hard to imagine anyone doing something like that - it is inhuman.

What are your early predictions now the first weekend of the Heineken Cup is over with Munster and Leinster both being beaten, bearing in mind they were both tipped as favourites?
Greg, England

It was a wonderful weekend in the Heineken Cup.

Treviso beating Perpignan was brilliant, as was Northampton taking Munster.

London Irish beating Leinster was absolutely fantastic and Ulster beat Bath by a lot of points - it was tremendous.

I've tipped the Ospreys the last couple of years but they always let me down, and they should have beaten Leicester at the weekend.

They were far enough ahead and they let a very below-par Leicester come back, something the Tigers have done before and will continue to do in the future.

To go back to the question, I would never write off Leinster or Munster, it's far too early in the tournament.

What is your best try?
Ollie, age 7, England

One of my favourite tries came when I was playing for the home unions against Romania in the early 1990s and weaved through about half-a-dozen players to score.

Prince Edward was in the crowd and I ran back to the halfway and bowed - that was quite memorable.

What do you think the chances are of England, Scotland, Wales and Ireland actually beating the Tri-Nations giants in the autumn internationals?
Kyle Paterson, Scotland

Wales and Ireland shouldn't fear anyone. They have reached a level now where it doesn't matter who they play at home, they should run them very close if not beat them.

Scotland and England are on a different level at the moment. They're low on confidence and are going to struggle, but I'd put money on the other two winning their home games.

606: DEBATE What are your views on Jerry's views? JS

Andy Robinson has got a tough job with Scotland, but he did a decent job with Edinburgh and his players believe in him, which is half the job.

I'm not sure about England at the moment. If they are to make a move towards becoming the best team in the world again, now is the time to start.

Martin Johnson's had a year in the job, he knows his players and we should start seeing some patterns of play with fewer mistakes.

They face a testing few games and it's almost make-or-break for England because if they have a disastrous autumn it's a step backwards after coming second in the Six Nations.

Do you think that when it comes to picking the England side, who you play for is as/more important than form? I say this as a Gloucester fan who cannot understand why James Simpson-Daniel isn't a regular (injuries permitting) and who suspects that Mike Tindall is only in because he's ex-Bath. Even across at Worcester I look at Pat Sanderson and can't understand why he hasn't been an England regular (and maybe even captain) for a few years now. What do you think? Am I being a bit paranoid? ATB, UK

I don't think it matters who you play for, although if you play for a winning side it helps because you are going to stand out.

Pat Sanderson has played for England but unfortunately for him he doesn't fit the way Martin Johnson wants England to play.

I agree Simpson-Daniel should have been in the England team more often but he's been injured too much.

I wish getting picked for England was as simple as playing for Bath. It used to be, but only because we were a good team, and now Martin Johnson is in charge - there's no love lost between Leicester and Bath!

Seriously though, it doesn't come down to that at all, form is what matters.

Do you hate everything to do with Irish rugby, or just the national team and professional sides? Cathal McSweeney, Ireland

This person needs to listen a lot more to what I say on TV and in my columns.

I'm a fan of rugby - it doesn't matter whether it's English, Irish, Scottish or Welsh.

Kearney starred for the Lions in the final two Tests in South Africa

I've loved watching Munster smash teams in the Heineken Cup, I've loved the way Leinster overcame Munster and beat Leicester to win the competition last season and I enjoyed Ireland winning the Grand Slam.

I tipped them to bottle it in Cardiff but I'm quite happy to say I was wrong.

The talent in Ireland at the moment is brilliant. Marcus Horan is a very mobile prop, Brian O'Driscoll is still one of the best centres in the world and Rob Kearney is the future of international rugby - his skill is exceptional.

Luke Fitzgerald is another wonderful player who I always look forward to watching, Tommy Bowe is on fire and Keith Earls is a great talent.

I don't hate Irish rugby - I absolutely adore it when it's being played by these guys in the right way.

I also like the contrast between the way Munster and Leinster play, although Leinster have adopted a lot of Munster's strategy, which is why they won the Heineken Cup.

Why not reduce the 15-player union game to 13 players to create more space for more open rugby like in rugby league.
Jon, UK

This is a ludicrous suggestion. All I can say is go and watch rugby league if you don't like the 15-man game.

Do you think the IRB should allow a designated kicker to come on and take place kicks like in American Football, with a 'tag' system for the players coming off (as in wrestling) so there is no disruption to the game. Alan Stewart, Northern Ireland

I don't get this one little bit. This is not very well thought out because the game does not require it. I'm all for initiative and clever thinking but this suggestion is completely the opposite.

Jerry Guscott was talking to BBC Sport's James Standley

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