nous

"They have also got the nous. They are brilliantly led by Sam Billings."

The neat dovetailing of Tatyana Heard and Megan Jones – a centre partnership that combines power, pace and nous – will have been particularly pleasing.

West Ham have got enough nous to deal with the atmosphere at the Stadium of Light, and leave with three points.

Without him as captain, they lose his tactical nous and sense of focus.

Itoje is also in the pantheon - a lock who wreaks havoc with his power, his nous and his strategic brilliance.