For a man whose neck vertebrae was fused, as a bulging disc was pushing on his spinal cord, Andrew Sheridan needs no reminder of rugby's brutality ahead of Le Crunch.
That injury, sustained in a Toulon match, ended the former England prop's career four-and-a-half years ago.
'It happens to a lot of props,' Sheridan tells Sportsmail matter-of-factly. 'I knew what I was signing up for!
Andrew Sheridan has swapped rugby scrums for vineyards in France - where he now lives
'It helps I'm not scrummaging anymore. I still have restricted movement, and if I'm inside somewhere where I have to duck down a lot I get aches and pains.
'I had shoulder problems too. The right one had to be re-done as the screw was broken. So I had four operations - two on each side - and my bicep went up my arm once, so had that done too. In general I'm able to run, do weights, row and keep reasonably fit though. I can't really complain.'
While he holds no bitterness about the game that broke him, Sheridan feels rugby will change.
'The amount of collisions and tackles means it's only natural that the number of games will shrink, getting close to what American footballers are playing,' he proffers.
'Less than 20 or so a year. It would give the players some longevity which is important and also for the fans, if you have players who just churn out game after game you can lose some of that intensity.
'As a player you go on auto-pilot, but if you sanitise it too much the casual observers will drift away. It's about the balance.'
Sheridan provides expertise on buying bottles and advice on pairings in France's Var region
Most will remember Sheridan as a rampaging forward, one of the most destructive scrummagers of his time - but life changes quickly.
Now if you are down in France's Var region and happen to pop into a 'Caviste' (independent wine merchant) in Le Pradet, up the road from Carqueiranne where he lives, you will be able to buy bottles and take advise on pairings from the 6ft 5in Englishman.
You will see the big scar that splits his right eyebrow, the hulking shoulders and bashed up face from a career that saw Sheridan win 40 caps, the Premiership, Heineken Cup, tour with the Lions twice and reach a World Cup final - but you will be answered in fluent French, and be sure to receive sage tips from a new expert.
While playing Sheridan took his Wine and Spirit Education Trust exams. The 'GSCE' (Level 2) and 'A Level' (Level 3) were completed before his days at Sale and Toulon were up, then he passed six exams over three years to clinch his Diploma.
The switch from being able to bench-press 35st 6lbs and eating opposition props for breakfast, to possessing an extensive knowledge of grape varieties, regions and soil types, is quite the change.
Sheridan was a monstrous prop for England before injury curtailed his career prematurely
'I was quite motivated to do it,' says
