The England prop is fascinated by history and explained that his passion for educating himself on events in the past helps him comprehend why so many other nations love to beat the English.

In an interview with Rugby World magazine, Heyes said: "I think you realise how many nations have an underlying hatred towards England. You dig down into the why and you realise why that rivalry exists. With the Welsh, the Irish, the French, I understand why it exists due to the historical history of countries.

"England had a lot of fingers in a lot of pies through history which now exists on the sporting pitch."

Heyes explained that his passion for history started when he was a primary school pupil.

The Leicester Tigers star said: "It started at primary school. I was always in the corner reading Horrible Histories. I was always interested in why things were the way they are. I wanted to know how long something had been somewhere, or why it was there in the first place.

"As soon as I got access to Wikipedia on my dad's computer, I would find myself falling down these rabbit holes. I would read pages and pages, being so excited by history."

Heyes says that history provides him with a sense of "escapism" away from rugby.

He explained: "History allows me to skip to another world. At moments I could be shy, and history and gaming allowed me to escape. Playing Age of Empires and Total War as computer games, I still am. I love the escapism it allows me as a 27-year-old."

Heyes continued: "I also listen to a lot of history podcasts, such as The Rest Is History or Simple History.

"I'm big on YouTube videos too. I would recommend BazBattles, where he breaks down major conflicts over 15 minutes. Battle strategy, reasoning, cause and effect. I cannot stop watching it."