The second sign that Mefin Davies is not a regular poker player came when he called “snap” as the dealer turned over a pair of aces. The first sign came moments earlier when the Wales hooker asked if anyone could lend him 50p to play.

It was rather higher stakes than that for a special game featuring six Leicester players representing all the countries in the RBS Six Nations, although only James Hamilton, the Scotland lock, and The Times actually stumped up the £20 buy-in. The others promised to bring their money to training.

Hamilton claimed that he had barely played before — which raised eyebrows when he took a large pot with an audacious bluff — while the supposed expert was Dan Hipkiss, the England centre and host for the evening. “We had a sponsor’s poker night for the England team before the World Cup,” he said. “I came first out of all the players, but came second to a woman from O2.”

Martin Castrogiovanni is also a keen gambler, if an unsuccessful one. “I lost

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It was a surprise to many that Hipkiss was not named in the England squad for the match against Wales after an impressive World Cup. He was named in the England Saxons squad instead.

“I have to be philosophical about the disappointment of not being picked,” he says. “I came on so quickly last year and the World Cup was a great experience but now I just have to prove myself again.”

Understandably, he is backing England to win this year’s Six Nations. “Unlike in 2003, when the World Cup was a pinnacle, this team is developing,” he says. “I think teams underestimated us after the [36-0] South Africa game. Even France in the semi-final. They must have thought, ‘Oh good, we’re playing England.’ ”

Kayser agrees that the semi-final was “terrible” for France. “To be fair, England did not do anything against us in the two warm-up matches [before the World Cup] and everyone was saying how fit and happy France were, but the semi was a huge disappointment,” he says. England return to Paris on February 23.

The Paris-born hooker, who only took up the game through playing sevens as a teenager at school in Hong Kong, says he admires much about England and the English. “But not the food, yuck,” he says.

With the retirement of Raphaël Ibañez, Kayser is expected to contest the France No 2 shirt for the next World Cup with Dimitri Szarzewski, of Stade Français. “He’s better-looking than you,” Castro says. The Italy prop is a natural joker, but like everyone else round the table takes his fitness seriously. “It’s very rare that I do a poker match and no one is drinking,” the dealer, supplied for the game from Dialadealer.com, says.

“I would if I could,” is Castrogiovanni’s response. “We’re athletes,” Humphreys adds, “and we have training tomorrow, as well as a game at the weekend. We only drink as a treat.”