Phil Vickery poked his head around a pillar and made a face. Then he put on a funny voice. His playing future is uncertain but you'd never know it.
It was his first day back working at Wasps since neck surgery forced him out of England's autumn internationals - and the pain was still there.
"I feel the hurt terribly," he said as he eased into a chair and dropped the act. But he wasn't talking about himself. He was referring to England's ailing rugby team.
Vickery, aka Raging Bull, said that before his operation he had been to hell and back. "You don't sleep at night, night turns into day, everything becomes blurred. It's not very nice."
He admitted he could not be completely sure he will play again, not until his neck is strong enough to withstand scrum time, which will not be any time soon. "It might be out of my hands, I don't know yet," said the Cornish prop. "I'd never live with myself if I didn't try everything but I'm not going to be stupid."
What really got him animated, though, was talk of England, after another autumn in the sick bay of world rugby.
"There have been so many bloody things said and it's sad really," he sighed. "I feel a bond with them, of course I do. I want to get back to help out."
Vickery won a World Cup playing alongside Martin Johnson and almost won another as captain in partnership with many of the current coaches.
When he hears the management getting blamed for all England's ills, it annoys him. As a player he feels the truth lies nearer to home.
"It can't just be about blaming coaches," he said. "Some players should look at themselves instead of believing press and whatever we hype ourselves up to be over here.
"In reality, I don't think some guys are good enough. To be an international player, you need to do more.
"You have to be a bit different. You have to set your standards a bit higher. You cannot, in my opinion, just be a normal club player and expect to go and compete successfully at international level.
"You've got to make sacrifices. It might be an extra five minutes of handling, an extra couple of hits on the tackle shield when the others have gone in.
"It might be saying to your mates, 'I'm not coming out tonight'. It might be going to bed a little earlier. Silly as it may sound, all these bits and pieces add up.
"And it's something people must take on board, because there's lots we all can do. I'm not a believer in just pointing fingers and saying this and that is wrong." Vickery, 33, is right that England's failure to win a Six Nations since 2003 is "not good enough". Right, also, that there is "no magic wand".
Because if there were he'd wave it at his tender neck before hot-footing it along to the England camp. In reality, the recovery will take far longer. For him and for his beloved country.
PHIL'S CAREER LANDMARKS
Aug 1995: Signed professional with Gloucester
Feb 1998: England debut in the 60-26 win over Wales
Dec 2003: World Cup winner as England beat Australia 20-17
Apr 2006: Joins London Wasps
Feb 2007: Named England captain for Six Nations
Oct 2007: Captained England in World Cup final defeat by South Africa