Respect - due regard for the feelings, wishes, or rights of others

We hear a lot of talk in the rugby community about how football is such a terrible sport due to the actions of their fans, and how they treat each other, the players and the officials with constant disrespect. We pride ourselves on being 'gentlemen' (or women, of course) in rugby, but is this true in reality? Respect is a huge part of the game, and for as long as I can remember this has been upheld by all rugby fans and players alike. I have some great memories where fans from opposite clubs have been nothing but cordial and polite to one another – an example that really sticks in my mind is from back in 2011 when Northampton Saints played Leinster in the Heineken Cup Final at Cardiff. It's safe to say Saints fans were pretty despondent when the match finished, but as a group of us were stood waiting to get on the coach some Leinster fans who were walking passed all stopped and shook hands with us, telling us it was a great match and we played really well. They didn't get anything out of doing that, but they did so anyway and it was actually a really lovely moment which lifted our spirits somewhat. But as the seasons go on I find respect is lacking more often than not.

Do Stuart Lancaster and England have a knack for ignoring players that fully deserve to be playing on the international stage?

The idea of wasted talent is something that is commonly talked about when it comes to Stuart Lancaster and England - a lot of players who have taken their chances and fought for their place in the international team have failed to be selected when it has been more than warranted. Stuart Lancaster has been Head Coach of England for a while now, and during his time in charge he's made some great decisions along with some bad ones. I think on the whole he has made team decisions I agree with, but there are some players who have either just fallen by the wayside to be forgotten about or have not been chosen to play when they perhaps should have been.

Nick Abendanon for me is probably the prime example of a player who Lancaster should have picked years ago but failed to do so. I know a lot of you out there won't agree purely because he plays in France now, but that's another debate for another day. At the moment it appears Abendanon will not play for England again - he may only be 28, but there are limited chances to play for your country and Lancaster is clearly interested in other players. When you look at how he played against Saints on Saturday, where he absolutely demolished them along with the rest of his team, I find it unimaginable that we haven't seen him in a white shirt more frequently. His kind of talent just should not have gone to waste, yet Lancaster has let this happen. Sure, Brown has cemented himself as the England full-back, and rightfully so, but I cannot think of many full-backs who would be better than Abendanon as a replacement, at least in the last few years. He is an incredible player with so much presence on the field, and he'd be a real asset for England.