As for me, I still cannot even get my toes wet. I had hoped to play today, for Newcastle Falcons against Bath, but my knee is not quite ready and I have to counter myself from being demoralised. I hate thinking of myself as an incapable athlete, especially around a group of team-mates who are doing what I want to do every day and are doing it pretty well.

I know there has been speculation about my future of late, but my focus is on getting fit and getting back. Newcastle have been excellent in helping the rehab process and, as ever, I simply want to be back again and playing with these guys. Nothing of note has actually occurred to hold me back, but on Monday, my knee just didn’t feel right. Often it starts a bit stiff but warms up; on this occasion it just didn’t warm up. We were doing a training session and I had no problem whatsoever with the contact, it was simply the pounding through the joint from the running.

So I am now in a pretty horrible position where I am having to listen to my body. I could be on the field but it might be better if I am not. I am not particularly comfortable with that – I would always prefer to be on it. But people have said: “There’s no point in rushing back.” They are right, but I have discarded that advice time and again.

There is a need for maturity. I am not going to take a risk. We are assessing this day by day. I would like to play next week, but it may be the week after, or maybe the week after that. There is an element of crystal ball-gazing in this, but I will be playing again soon, when the time is absolutely right.