Former England and Lions star Guscott is a BBC rugby union pundit

The return of the Heineken Cup produced a glut of superb rugby, after some poor stuff in recent weeks both domestically and on the international front, and Jerry explains why he thinks the action is getting more exciting.

He also reveals who is his player of the year (it's not IRB choice Richie McCaw), whether he still thinks Nick Easter is a "deck-chair salesman" and if Munster are past their best.

And he puts to bed once and for all the reason why he chose not to play in the famous "cross-code" challenge between Wigan and Bath in 1996.

If you have a question for BBC Sport rugby union expert Jerry, you can submit it by using the form in the top right-hand corner of the page. He will answer as many as possible early next week.

Jeremy, for quite a while you've been against England's decision to pick Nick Easter - I believe you called him a "deckchair salesman" at one point. What's your view of him now? Sunday's Sale v Quins Heineken Cup match showed he's anything but a slow, unadventurous player and definitely not afraid of work.
Euan, England

Yes, I am prepared to change my opinion on Nick Easter.

Easter excels for Quins but can he deliver for England?

As a player he reminds me of Dean Richards, who was a fantastic number eight. Easter is out of a similar mould but the game has become quicker.

Easter was superb against Sale and was almost man of the match in a losing side.

In certain situations he has the ability to dominate a game, but at international level I've not seen him have the same impact, and that's because it's not played the same way.

He's always going to be a very, very good club player but I'm yet to be convinced he can do that on the international field.

But I agree with Euan, on Sunday he was far from a deckchair salesman.

Jeremy, having seen the third-round matches, who do you think looks most likely to win the Heineken Cup?
Jake Norrish, Wales

You can't discount Leinster, who had a good win against the Scarlets away from home at the weekend.

Clermont Auvergne look very strong, but with Leicester and the Ospreys in Group Three, one of the fancied teams is guaranteed to fall at the first hurdle.

The Tigers came back in the last few minutes on Sunday but Clermont pretty much had it won by then and the return fixture next weekend will be very interesting.

The Ospreys must be back in some sort of form - running in 62 points against any side is some going, even if it is Viadana.

Cardiff Blues' win at home to Toulouse can't go unnoticed and Pool Four is very tight, but Biarritz are running away with Pool Two.

I'd look at Clermont Auvergne, Biarritz, Leinster, Cardiff Blues and the Ospreys as possible winners.

Do you think Munster are reaching the end of their incredible run or is their patchy form simply a speed-bump? Do you see evidence of a new generation that can maintain the mighty reds?
Michael, Wales

I think it's a speed-bump Michael. They're in a tough group but I would never write them off because they have too much class and too much history in this competition.

Their big question will be answered next week because they made their name in the Heineken Cup by going away from home and winning.

Outside winning the title itself, that's what I remember them most for.

With the ongoing feud between the Celtic nations (ie Warren Gatland) and England about whether the Magners League or the Guinness Premiership is better, I feel you may as well throw your opinion in. I believe that although there is no relegation threat in the Magners, which should encourage attacking rugby, the rugby is a lot more scrappy than in the Premiership. What do you think?
Gregor Lawrence, England

I have to say I don't necessarily agree, because what I've seen has been replicated in the Premiership.

What we've seen this season is the same as what we saw last season - players and coaches have again got edgy and conservative because of a rule change.

Even though they've had all summer to practice they don't know what to do and as a result struggle to adapt.

Last year there were also problems around the tackle area and it led to teams kicking a lot more because they were worried, but that was gone by Christmas, and having seen the games over the weekend it seems like that might be the case once again.

I don't think there's a huge difference between what happens in the Magners League and the Guinness Premiership, but I agree with Gregor in that you would have thought it would be a bit more open in the former, a bit more Super-14 style, because there is no relegation.

But because we're British and Irish we're not made the same as the southern hemisphere and our psyche's not the same - we're more conservative.

I was watching some Welsh rugby on Youtube today. I saw Gareth Edwards pass the ball almost half the width of the pitch with pinpoint accuracy. We don't seem to see that sort of scrum-half play now. Why has it disappeared?
Robert Fox, UK

If that happened in today's game the person who received the pass would get smashed in a man-and-ball tackle.

It had its place but a pass eats up ground and unless the person you are passing to is running into space there's no point - how many times do we see overlaps ruined by a long pass?

Only Gareth could really do it that well, but it is a skill of its day and something that I'm sure doesn't have a place in the modern game.

Jerry, you talk about France needing a quality fly-half. Surely they have one in Stade's Lionel Beauxis? Why is Lieveremont ignoring him when he is probably the key to the unopened doors?
Vince, UK

Beauxis is a reliable kicker but offers little in the way of invention

Beauxis is one of a plethora of players playing 10 these days who can kick his goals pretty well, tactically kick all right and tackle OK.

He can do everything it says on the box except for really being an out-and-out attacking 10, like Matt Giteau and Dan Carter.

Whenever and wherever you play you are measured against the best and at the moment the best 10s in the world are Giteau and Carter - I don't think Beauxis is of that quality.

In the game today, decoy runners run about in front of the ball (when the ball is passed down the back line) legally. In my day that was crossing, interfering or offside. It seems now to be legal only because the decoy runners have advanced about one to two metres. It is my opinion that this is still an unfair and illegal move. What do you think?
Alan Yarrow, UK

I think Alan must be even older than me!

There were decoy runners that ran in front of the ball when I played and you just got on with it.

It's pretty simple to stop - you just run into the decoy runner when he's in front of the ball - that's obstruction.

The Australians started this years and years ago, although it came from rugby league.

As a defence you've got to read it. If you're blocked, run into the guy and you'll get a penalty.

When it's done well its difficult to defend against but to do that it had to be close to obstruction but not quite.

Admittedly it makes it difficult for the referee and for that reason it could be worth getting rid of, but at the moment I'm more inclined towards keeping it.

Hi Jeremy, after this week's Heineken Cup performances with there being so many tries and teams not being afraid to run it back, how come the international sides are so fearful of doing this?
Luke, Northern Ireland

Luke, we shouldn't have seen sides be afraid of running it back because there was nothing at stake during the November internationals, bar gaining a psychological edge in the build-up to the World Cup.

The kicking stats would be interesting from the weekend, because sometimes what you see is not necessarily reflected in the analysis, but it seems sides were running the ball more and the tries certainly came this weekend.

It is so brilliant to see the players actually take it on and say 'you know what, we don't have to worry about these new laws, because if we play at speed and clear the ball quickly then we can attack'.

You can do that from anywhere and I think that's what sides have taken on board.

Harlequins against Sale was a magnificent game of rugby and Clermont Auvergne against Leicester was also very good - they all played with the right attitude.

A very productive weekend in terms of tries scored. Can the RFU still hold their position that the current laws and refereeing of the breakdown are killing the game when domestic teams, particularly from the Premiership, are able to produce entertaining rugby when matched against Celtic and European competition - is it not the mindset of English clubs that needs to be changed and not the laws?
Graham Newton, Scotland

I think a rule change would make a difference, and my rule change would be to bring back rucking.

That's my big thing for this year - I think there's a place for rucking in the game.

The way a side plays is determined by the way they are coached and what they want to do as players.

If a player's happy to be coached in a negative, boring way, then there's not a lot we can do, even if you change the laws.

You can see the difference between the way Saracens play and, let's say, Northampton - here we have two different mindsets, both with coaches and probably with players.

Thankfully we do have differences of opinion and what we've seen in the games this weekend is a totally different attitude.

The RFU can push but I don't think they will have much success.

Do you think people are making too much of Wales' recent slump in form, particularly against Australia, considering that by about 20 minutes into the game we were missing (with previous injuries included) eight of what would have been our starting XV?
Moose, Wales

What Moose has to understand is that in that game Australia got into the Welsh 22 on far fewer occasions than Wales got into the Australian 22, but Wales couldn't score the tries when it was necessary.

That's something coaches Warren Gatland, Rob Howley and Shaun Edwards need to look at very closely.

There was an element of a lack of creativity from that Welsh team throughout the whole series.

I saw Wales play a nigh-on perfect game against Scotland in the Six Nations last year and the previous year they won the Grand Slam, so those are the standards they have set and that they have to play up to.

Do you think Richie McCaw was deserving of the IRB Player of the Year award? I reckon Jamie Roberts and Fourie du Preez should have won it in front of him.
Charlie, England

Du Preez shone as South Africa beat the Lions and won the Tri-Nations

Because he was an integral part of South Africa winning the Tri-Nations and beating the Lions, Fourie du Preez was the player of the year for me.

Roberts played brilliantly against Scotland in the Six Nations but then Joe Worsley stopped him when they played England.

He also had a good Lions tour, but has struggled to have the same impact this season.

Richie McCaw played well in a losing side [NB: NZ lost four out of 14 Tests this year, three to South Africa], while Du Preez played very well in a winning side and he gets my vote.

Do you still regret your decision to not prove yourself against the greatest ever club rugby side - Wigan - in the 1996 cross-code challenge? Yours in sport,
John Marchant, England

No, I don't and I never will.

My reasoning is that we were never going to beat Wigan at rugby league and, if Bath played properly in union, Wigan's forwards wouldn't have been able to walk off the pitch, because they didn't know how to scrum.

I didn't disapprove of the concept or what happened because the games helped break down barriers, but I didn't need to play in them.

It may sound a tad arrogant but I felt I didn't have to prove myself at rugby league, and even if I had felt that way I certainly couldn't do that playing for a rugby union side against one of the best sides in the world - Wigan had an unbelievable side with unbelievable stars.

Jonathan Davies has told me before - and I respect his view - that I would have enjoyed rugby league, and for me that's good enough.

I don't regret not playing and I don't regret not going to rugby league, but I do like watching rugby league.

Jerry was talking to BBC Sport's James Standley.

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