James Haskell

“Unfortunately, there tends to be an easy way of doing things in life and the Haskell way. As a 12-year-old I knocked my front teeth out while chasing a friend in the rain. I'm the type who offers to serve wine at drinks parties and accidentally pours it down one of the guests.”

“You bring your strength to the game - that's what I've learnt, and that's what I try to bring to England.”

“When I was about 15, I learnt that training hard doesn't get easier, you just learn to push harder. That's a powerful mentality to master.”

“I'm always pretty fair-handed.”

“You just shouldn't be spending your summer watching TV.”

“As a player you have to look after your body because no one else will. I'd rather be proactive than kowtow to everyone and be injured all the time.”

“Going to Stade Francais will not just make me a better player but make me a better player for England.”

“My favourite Heineken Cup memory as a player was undoubtedly sharing in Wasps' final triumph in 2007.”

“I was consuming the most food when I came to Wasps. I was eating six meals a day - 250-300g of protein, 300g of carbs, 250g of veg, six times every day. It was extensive, horrific. And tedious.”

“When I left rugby and bought my first commercial gym membership it was a shock to the system. I went in there and saw people training and thought 'I've got to get out of here and get in a proper gym.'”

“My best games for England were under Eddie Jones. Eddie got the best out of me. He understood that I needed an arm around me, needed my tyres pumped up.”

“If you have any ambitions to improve and be a world-class side, you have to be very tough on yourselves.”

“I reckon every player feels much the same on the eve of a Six Nations championship. We all want to finish top, win the title and do our respective countries proud in the process. We're also aware a lot of other people are seeking precisely the same thing. Pessimism and optimism collide like two ferrets in a sack.”

“In reality, rugby is finite and unpredictable, so players need to have skills off the pitch too.”

“I do not want to gain a reputation for lacking discipline because I always look to play within the laws.”

“International rugby is an unforgiving arena.”

“I don't think my parents imagined I'd represent England when they first drove me to mini-rugby at Maidenhead. I was only five but mum lied about my age to get me out of the house.”

“At most grounds you're not particularly conscious of the crowd but in Cardiff, with the roof closed against a good Welsh team, the noise is impossible to ignore. It can be loud enough to put you off your game and the Welsh undoubtedly possess some of the most passionate fans in the world.”

“A lot of sportsmen get depression, all sorts of mental health issues. A lot of people retire and you don't hear from them, but I don't want to do that.”

“Wherever I've played, I only affect the breakdowns that are in front of me.”