Josh Lewsey England full-back

England full-back Josh Lewsey is back in the England team after missing the win against Italy a fortnight ago with a shoulder injury.

He took time out from preparations for Saturday's Six Nations game against Scotland at Murrayfield to answer your emails.

Q. Playing in front of so many people and with so much at stake, you must get unbelievably nervous. How do you manage to control your nerves and remain focused?
Peter Bott, London

Atmosphere usually excites me. It energises me and you've got to use it as a positive. It shouldn't make you nervous and if it does you've got to channel those nerves.

I enjoy going into hostile environments. It's good fun and it's part of the game.

Q. I understand your current contract runs out at the end of the season. Would you ever consider coming back to Bristol where it all began? What are your memories of your time in Bristol?
Dave, Bristol

I would consider going back to Bristol at some point in my career, but we'll wait and see at the moment. I've got very, very fond memories of Bristol - it feels like home when I drive down the M32.

The rugby club represents the community and in many ways it is the heartbeat of the city - it means a lot to people to call themselves Bristolian.

It is great if you can pull on a jersey where it represents not just the players and the coaches but also the people outside the club. Bristol is like Gloucester and Leicester in that respect.

Richard Hill, the coach, must take a lot of credit for Bristol's revival. The club is a sleeping giant and I think the future is very bright for them.

Q. If there is one person who inspired you when you first started playing rugby, who was it?
Ed English, Newcastle

I don't think there's any one person who inspired me. I look at every player and try to take the best quality out of each of them to try and make myself as rounded a player as I can be.

A guy called Richard Rivett, who was my coach at Amersham and Chiltern Rugby Club, pulled me aside when I was young and told me talent can only get you so far, you also need to have the right work ethic. He probably had more influence than any individual player.

Q. Are you the quickest player in the England camp now and who is the fittest?
Nick Philips, London

This question could cause big arguments - you've got a lot of egos to deal with there - but there's some quick boys in the England camp.

You've got to remember on the rugby field it's not just about speed, it's about how quick you are when you're tired and what your work ethic's like for the rest of the game.

Some wingers or full-backs don't do a lot of work and so keep themselves fresh, so if they do get the ball they look very sharp. However, we try to encourage players to get their hands on the ball as much as possible, so you need an all-round level of fitness.

Q. At what age did you start playing rugby? I am 17, soon turning 18, and want to join the local rugby team. Do you think it is too late to join a rugby team?
Andy, Chipping Sodbury, South Gloucestershire

It's never too late to join a rugby club. Part of joining a rugby club is enjoying the camaraderie and I think that's one of the most important things you can have.

Q. I remember you from school, congratulations on all that you have achieved! My question is, is there a single point when you realised you might have the talent to match the dream of being a world-class player?
Pete Luxford, Bedfordshire

It may sound very, very cocky but I always knew I was quite talented, but talent is pretty common - you've got to have the work ethic to go with it.

You've got to match talent with massive desire and self-belief to reach the top. If you've got that and have a little bit of luck as well, then you'll achieve your potential, and that's all you can ask for.

Q. What is the funniest prank that someone has played on you?
Phillipa, Farnham

There's been quite a few but one that sticks in my mind occurred in Sydney Airport in Australia. I was reaching for something off the top shelf and Mark Regan pulled my trousers down while Simon Shaw grabbed my arms so I couldn't pull them back up again.

The female shop assistant thought it was hilarious. For some reason I tend to bear the brunt of my team-mate's practical jokes.

Q. If you could be a professional sportsman in any other sport, which one would you choose?
Kate Douglas, Old Woking

My heart would tell me Formula One. You get paid lots of money, get lots of adulation, you follow the sunshine around the world, you can drive cool cars and there's lots of pretty women around.

My head would probably tell me golf. Again you follow the sunshine and earn lots of money but you don't have to do any fitness work. I'd also quite like to be better at surfing, but I don't get much chance to practise.

Q. In your column you refer to some of your team-mates by their nickname. Who has the funniest name? And the weirdest name? And what is your nickname?
Sally Heart, London

I don't really have a nickname, although people do call me OJ (Josh's first name is Owen). Steve Thompson is called Shrek after the cartoon character, while Joe Worsley is known as Melon Head, because his head is so big. It's 64cm round!

Q. Do you ever read the match reports in the Sunday papers?
Wayne, Leeds

I try and stay away from them. Now and then I read them - 10% of the time I'll skim through to see what's been said and see what angle the journalists are picking up on, but by and large I try and stay away from them.

Q. I play full back for my school but can never score tries - can you give me any tips?
Sam Rosser, Ashford

Sometimes in the back three it can get very frustrating - you can't get your hands on the ball through no fault of your own, because you need other people to bring you into the game.

So play behind a pack of forwards who give you ball and with a midfield which is willing to pass the ball out to you. Failing that, change schools!