I am afraid I have got to mention injuries straight away. We have had some bad luck and we all feel sorry for Olly who had a good game last week. However it is Andy Farrell who has got the number 10 jersey now. He is an amazingly talented player and in training he often plays in that position. His place kicking is also excellent, so I think we are covered a lot better than people would give us credit for. 

Friday is Le Crunch. I said it last time but I will say it again. We have to up our game both mentally and physically and I know we can do that. I was chuffed to be in the team, there have been a few changes and we all know that it could have been any of the 15 dropped The challenge now is to rise to the challenge and I know we can do that.

Our skipper’s ban is a case of mixed emotions. He is obviously disappointed to miss the next two games but I think we all realise it could have been worse. Matt Stevens is a great person to play alongside and a strong guy to have in the front row.

Martin Corry comes in, and I have played alongside him in the past when he was at Bristol. I will enjoy picking him out in the lineouts and am well aware this is a key part of the game.

We have had a couple of soft centres in bed for a few days because they had a bit of a sniffle. Matthew Tait and Dan Hipkiss were up and about today but I would say they are a couple of soft centred truffles. If men are not very good at being ill the men who play in the backs are even worse.

I will be watching the football tonight. England really are under pressure there and it is great to be able to say I know how they are feeling. However they got the result on Saturday, as did we, and lets hope all of that can be repeated again a win for the England football team and a win in the Rugby World Cup for us.

I found a little delicatessen today but kept clear of the cakes, even though they did look rather good. I will be taking my wife around a few of the shops on Saturday after the game but I think I will have to remember to forget my credit card.

Thanks to Phil and The Lord for their comments after my last post. Yes he really is a Lord. All the best, and keep backing us on Friday.

PS Has Victor gone on strike with his blog writing?

If there’s one thing I’ve learned since I got involved in the hospitality business, it’s that preparation is all. You’ve got to do your homework to make sure that everything runs smoothly.

For sporting events, clients want you to do more than lay on tickets. If they’re not local, they want you to act as their guide to a strange, new environment. So, I’ve been taking the strain ahead of Saturday’s big kick-off. Well, kind of…

A couple of weeks ago, I headed off with my laptop to a wonderful coffee and cake shop in the centre of Lens to soak up the atmosphere in the town which will stage England’s opening match in the World Cup. 

The cafe was well worth a visit and absolutely knocks spots off Starbucks. The food was not only first-class but gave you a sense of what Lens is all about. It’s got real character, more so than parts of Paris which are better known but have less heart. 

Lens is really small and quite working class. All its history seems to revolve around the coal mines which still dominate the landscape and mentality. If you’ve never been there before, let me give you an idea of what I mean.  

The stadium where England will take on the USA this weekend is named after the guy who was commercial director of the local mine. Even in the coffee shops, you can’t escape coal. I ate a chocolate made with a plant which is grown on the slag heaps just outside of town! All in the name of research, you understand! 

There I was with chocolate all over my face in a town which was a sea of blood and orange– long before beered-up rugby fans arrived. They’re the colours of the local football team, Racing Club Lens, in whose Felix Bollaert Stadium England start their Rugby World Cup campaign. Let’s hope Lens’ early form isn’t a bad omen. They’re next to bottom of the First Division having played five games and lost three!

If you read some of the English press, of course, you’d believe the omens are not too good for England anyway. My old team-mate, Lawrence Dallaglio, is apparently saying that we’ve not prepared properly while Andy Robinson, who’s not necessarily the best judge of form, is predicting that we’ll only make the semis. 

I’ve always thought that preparation is key but luck also plays a big part in tournament and no-one really knows what’s going to happen. A fumbled pass, a drop goal or an injury can quickly change the outcome of matches. 

I suppose, however, that losing on Saturday wouldn’t bode well for our chances. We need to finish above South Africa in the group (a tough task in itself!) to avoid Australia in the quarters. 

Mind you, if England do get turned over, fans can learn from my favourite experience of Lens. I took a 10-minute walk from the coffee shop down the Boulevard Emile Basly and the Avenue Alfred Maes, hung a left onto the Route d’Arras and through the doors of the Brasserie Saint-Germain to try some of its fantastic beers. All in the name of research, you understand! 

Allez les blancs!!