Why Chris Robshaw is the right leader for England
Wednesday 8 February 2012
2012 sees a new start for English rugby. After a disastrous world cup, a new, temporary regime is in place and a fresh, young squad selected. The only remaining question was who was going to be Lancaster et al's choice as their captain, their general on the battlefield and leader in the dressing room. It's clear now that Chris Robshaw, captain of Harlequins, is going to be that man.
Robshaw could turn out to be an inspired choice. Having learnt and experienced the art of captaincy from the flank under such class acts like Andre Vos and hard workers such as Paul Volley, it's no surprise that Robshaw has emerged as a member of a pantheon of great quins captains (including Winterbottom, Micky Skinner and Dave Wilson as well as the aforementioned pairing of Volley and Vos) who lead from the back row if not on the front lines. Not the most vocal of captains, Robshaw leads by example with work rate matched only by the Dusautoirs and Pococks of this world. His club-mate Nick Evans' endorsement of him, comparing him favourably to Richie McCaw, speaks volumes about his value to any side. If Lancaster wants a leader who will lead by example and get the rest of the team to follow him, then he could have not made a better choice.
Domestically too, Robshaw has had much joy as a leader in the past 12 months. Despite a recent wobble, Robshaw's Quins lead the Aviva Premiership having lost only twice in the league all season. He has lead a young and much talked about Quins side to streak-busting wins in Toulouse and in Limerick against Munster as well as to victory in last year's Amlin Challenge Cup. Whilst there have been blips such as the questionable decision making displayed in defeat to Connacht many weeks ago, these blips are exceptions. He's been there and done it and is still doing it on the club scene and it is Robshaw's ability to lead teams to victory against the odds that has lead Lancaster to appoint him his general.
Yes, he only has two international caps to date but the fact is Robshaw is a man that should have so much more than that two caps with his first cap being when England won away in Argentina almost 2 years ago. This is a man who was voted premiership player of the year by his peers as a 22 year old in a trophyless and tarnished Quins team as far back as 2008. He has featured in the top 5 tacklers in the league (most often in the top two) every year since his emergence as a first team player in 2007. How he has not featured in the white of England thus far is a question that will forever remain unanswerable. He now has his chance to show England what they have been missing since the downfall of the holy trinity in 2003. Despite being little raw and unproven and not having the old heads around him (the likes of Easter and Evans) that he has at Quins, Robshaw has all the credentials to shine as England's next leader and icon and potentially join the pantheon of this generation of world class flankers. He might also not be that guy, but he has his opportunity and I back him to seize it with both hands.
