You're 6ft 3in, nearly 14 stone and can run like the wind. Surely nothing fazes you in rugby?
Actually, I find it hard to sleep the night before a big game, with all the thoughts going round in your head, so I try to watch a DVD in bed - a comedy film, ideally, or some stand-up - to help me get to sleep. Normally it works and the TV is left on all night.

If it's that bad the night before a match, how do you feel in the morning?
I often struggle to have breakfast before a game, so I'll gulp down a protein shake and then go back to my bedroom to start packing my bag. It always has to be done in order: boots first, left then right, then my shoulder pads, then the towels ... I'm a bit superstitious like that.

That can't take long. What do you do for the rest of the morning?
To help me relax, I've taken to watching Soccer AM on TV. I don't know why, it just started being on while I packed and now I have to watch it. I think because it is another sport and they are always messing around it helps me to clear my mind.

What do you do immediately before the match?
On the way to the ground I listen to music. I have a few mixtures of tunes: R&B and hip-hop mainly. Once the bus gets to Twickenham, that is when the nerves really kick in. I head straight for the changing-room and get my kit on - in strict order, of course - and then head outside for a bit of kicking practice.

Do you have any special mantras to motivate yourself?
One thing I was taught when I was in the academy by Toby Booth [now the London Irish head coach] is to say: “Be the best you can be.” I always say that three times to myself before leaving the changing-room. It's a bit sad, really.