This isn’t about “Bloodgate”, it is about the laws of rugby. But I think it is helpful to explain what we rugby players are like and how we play the game because I realise that, because of the headlines of the past few weeks, people have had cause to wonder.

First, I don’t condone dirty, harmful or dangerous play. Though hopefully that is obvious. And I certainly don’t condone use of blood capsules, but, as I say, that is not what this is about.

But what we do play is a game in which the laws, although they may be written down, are open to interpretation. Players often sail as close to the laws as they can and, when they go over or beyond the letter of the law, they are taking calculated gambles.

When you are in a ruck and the referee yells at you, “Hands off the ball, get your hands off the ball,” what do you do? Because you know that if you take your hands off it, you might be allowing the opposition quick ball. But you are also asking yourself: “How much longer can I keep my hands on this ball before the ref blows?”

If we are two points ahead with the game in its dying seconds and I reach out and steal the ball, we could save the game and everyone is happy. But if I get penalised, I am at risk of conceding three points and the game.

We have all taken those sort of gambles over and over. When they do not come off, you are accused of having bad discipline; when they do come off, you are the hero.

I could rewind to the weekend just past. My team, Toulon, were winning against Montpellier until the last minute, when they scored the try that stole the victory from us. What if we had gambled differently? In retrospect, if we could have, we should have. We should have spoilt, stolen or slowed down their ball to prevent their try. We should have taken the gambles that might have had us penalised but might also have allowed us to prevent that try.

But that is how rugby works: it’s about getting as much as you can before you get penalised. That is professionalism.

I would not say that playing the ref has ever been my strength; if anything, the opposite. I captained Newcastle Falcons on numerous occasions and my approach to building a relationship with the ref was never to challenge his decisions. My aim was and still is to ensure that by not challenging his decisions, the ref was confident with me and that, this way, we would build up a good rapport.

Here in France, I have been relearning dealing with referees. I had an interesting time dealing with one ref who was getting impatient while I was preparing to kick, but that was a language problem. I was busy trying to tell him that I was waiting for the kicking tee but my pronunciation was marginally out because I was, in fact, telling him that I wanted a cup of tea.

However successful or not my manner with refs has been in the past, here in France it will mirror my old ways: stay out of their way. That said, I’ve given away plenty of silly fouls and have been party to many more. This is a passionate game and will remain so. As a player, you learn to play on the rules, to hang on the ref’s interpretations, to get away with what you can. That is how rugby players operate.

But that is playing the game, it is nothing to do with Bloodgate. Nothing at all.