BBC pundit Guscott is on hand to tackle your queries throughout the season

Former Bath, England and Lions centre Jeremy Guscott is back to answer your questions.

Among the topics Jerry discusses this week are:

- Whether Munster are finally on the decline after their European adventure ends at the group stage for the first time in 13 years

- Ulster's chances of reaching the last eight in the Heineken Cup

- How England will cope without the injured Courtney Lawes and who should replace him in the second row

- Whether the in-form Jonny Wilkinson has done enough to replace Toby Flood at number 10 for England

If you have any questions for Jerry, please use the postform on this page. He will answer as many as possible next week, but unfortunately not every question submitted can be used. This week's answers appear below.

Hey Jez, do you think this is the end of this great Munster side?I know it was a tough group but they never seemed to look like getting an away win. Also can I get your views on the Ospreys? They again have failed to achieve their potential and next season they will be without James Hook and Shane Williams?
Jimmy McCullough, Australia

O'Connell's Munster failed to reach the last eight for the first time in 13 years

Dear Jerry, what are your thoughts on Munster and the Ospreys failing to make the next round of the Heineken Cup? It was always going to be difficult for them both to qualify this year, but they have long been heavyweights of the competition. Do you think this is (further?) evidence that those two teams are fading or will they come back? Kind regards.
Ed, UK

Hi Jimmy and Ed. It could be the end of a Munster era considering a side that isn't overflowing with great talent beat them so convincingly. Munster couldn't gain control of the game against Toulon as they have done in the past against other sides. It's not all doom and gloom, they are leading the Magners, but the Heineken Cup is always their main priority.

Every time in recent years when the Ospreys have been asked to produce their best they have come up short. Ospreys just aren't very good away from home against English and French clubs. They are super talented individuals that haven't really bonded into a tight-knit team. Ospreys look like a side that doesn't get together that much away from training and playing.

Jeremy, after Leinster's six-try demolition of Saracens, do you not seem them as one of the favourites for the Heineken Cup? They have such a potent scrum and so many attacking options that even Toulouse would not want to be drawn against them.
John Martin, Ireland

Hi Jeremy, after another strong performance from Leinster, are they your favourites for the Heineken Cup or are you thinking of Northampton, Toulouse or Leicester?
Barry, Northants

Hi John and Barry. Leinster have done well and put away Saracens with ease at the weekend. To make them firm favourites would be a bit premature but they are certainly up there with Northampton and Toulouse. The main aim for Leinster is to beat Racing Metro next week and qualify for the knock-out stages with a home quarter-final. Once we get to the knock-out stages there are few easy games, but home advantage is so important.

Do you think Ulster will make it to the quarter-finals of the Heineken Cup? Also do you think Ruan Pineaar has been the player Ulster expected? Has Paul Marshall been kept out by Ruan's form or his name?
Matthew, Northern Ireland

Jonny Wilkinson is playing very well and we are all pleased to see him back to his best but Toby Flood is in possession of the number 10 shirt for England and I think he should remain there

Hi Matthew. Firstly I'm pleased Ulster beat Biarritz because the French team plays such a boring brand of rugby. In my opinion it will be difficult for Ulster to qualify top of the group given Biarritz have Bath at home. The French pack will dominate Bath and with scrum-half Dimitri Yachvili pulling the strings behind, I can't see them losing.

Ulster should get the bonus-point victory against Aironi, which should give them enough points to qualify as one of the highest second-placed finishers, along with Leicester or Perpignan. Watching the game against Biarritz at the weekend I thought Pienaar stood out. If he's played like that since his arrival then he probably deserves his place on merit.

Jeremy, can I tempt you into predicting who you think the quarter-final match-ups will be? Who are your favourites at this stage?
Stephen McGovern, Ireland

Hi Stephen. There are too many permutations of what can happen next week for me to predict the match-ups for the quarters. There won't be any easy games and all teams are desperate to earn a home quarter-final. I can predict there will be some humdinger matches!

I was impressed by Leicester's power game at the Scarlets, but I'm not sure they have the subtlety and variety of style to win the Heineken Cup. What about it Jerry?
Dave T, Leicestershire

Hi Dave. I've watched Leicester's last two games, against Saints and Scarlets, and their intensity and execution has been enough to beat most sides. However, if Tigers don't finish top of their group their quarter-final will be away from home against a very good side, so they are far from favourites to win the Heineken Cup at this stage.

Jerry, given Jonny Wilkinson's (JW) outstanding form for Toulon, do you think he is close to reclaiming the number 10 shirt for England for the Six Nations?
George, UK

Hi George. JW is playing very well and we are all pleased to see him back to his best. However, Toby Flood is also playing very well and as he is in possession of the number 10 shirt for England and I think he should remain there. England are in a very good position to have both their 10s playing so well.

Jeremy, do you think losing Courtney Lawes for the Six Nations will affect England? Who do you think Martin Johnson will pick to replace him and why?
Charlie, Scotland

Despite his tender years the 21-year-old Lawes will be difficult to replace

As good as Louis Deacon has been recently, is he the man to replace Lawes in England's engine room? I have no doubt he will clear out rucks, lumber the ball into contact and make a few tackles but is that enough for a 21st-century lock? Would we be better following the Welsh example and playing a number eight in the second row? Or is there another young tyro out there waiting to be thrown in?
Sam, Wylam, England

Hi Charlie and Sam. Lawes is very difficult to replace because his contribution and impact during England's recent games have been so significant. I believe it will be a straightforward choice between Deacon and Simon Shaw, because Dave Attwood is suspended. The veteran Shaw still has some good rugby to come from his battered body and Deacon does the basics well enough. I would pick Shaw because I believe he will be more effective around the field, and not just contribute in the scrummage and line-out.

Hi Jeremy, James Gaskell has been playing well for Sale this year, and it was a shame he was injured, but do you think he will get in to the England squad in the future, and if so do you think he should play at flanker, or lock?
Jordan Bertenshaw, England

Hi Jordan. Gaskell is unlikely to really catch the eye of the selectors until the Sharks start playing consistently well, but his position in the Saxons squad will be a platform for him to express himself alongside quality players. At just 20 I still think he has time on his side to decide whether he commits himself to playing lock or back row.

Jerry, what are your thoughts on England loose-head Andrew Sheridan's decision to sign a new contract with Sale?Sam B, UK

Hi Sam. As I understand it Sheridan has signed a 12-month extension to his current contract. That says to me that he's happy to stay in the short term to see what improvements the new hierarchy of Steve Diamond and Pete Anglesea can make. He has left himself the option of leaving after next season if things don't improve.

The elusive Simpson is an electric runner from the base of the scrum

Jeremy, I am a huge Wasps fan and, although we have faltered as a team recently, how impressed have you been with scrum-half Joe Simpson? In terms of the England team, I see Ben Youngs slightly ahead in the talent department and pecking order, but surely Simpson is a better option off the bench than Danny Care? Cheers.
Charlie Garner, UK

Hi Charlie. I'm pleased for Simpson because before his last injury he was really impressing everyone and he's come back, worked hard and again found a rich vein of form. His pace is his biggest asset, and when his passing and decision making get better I have no doubt he will be challenging Care for a place on the bench.

Hi Jeremy, if you had to choose between a fly-half who can kick his goals and sit back in the pocket and control the game, yet stifles the team's creativity by sitting too deep, or a fly-half whose kicking can at times be wayward, but has the ability to unlock defences and create tries with moments of magic, what would you go for? A couple of examples - I'm thinking of Stephen Myler and Shane Geraghty at Northampton or Dan Parks and Ruaridh Jackson with Scotland.
Nick Mackenzie

Hi Nick. Personally I would have a fly-half who is a threat with the ball in hand and doesn't stand in the pocket unless he has to. We are going through a phase/era of rugby where the running 10 doesn't seem to be that popular, particularly at international level. I think there are a number of 10s who have a mixture of what you're talking about. Wales' Stephen Jones, for instance, normally kicks a good percentage of his goals and likes to have a run at defenders, but he's not the quickest or most elusive.

Hi Jeremy, what was the biggest act of sportsmanship you saw on a rugby pitch? Thanks.
Monty, Scotland

Hi Monty. One of the biggest acts of sportsmanship I've seen on a rugby field was when referee Colin Hawke blew the full-time whistle when we were playing Wales at Twickenham in 1998 - we won 60-26!

E-mail this to a friend

Printable version