Brendan Gallagher’s verdict: No more Mr Nice Guy as Robbo’s men get ruthless
Two years ago it was Robshaw who felt the pain most as England crumbled to a 30-3 defeat, their much touted Grand Slam hopes in tatters. Personally he was one of the few England players not crushed by the occasion; in fact he gave one of his best performances – but it was a humbling drubbing by any criteria.
That defeat also cost him a place on the 2013 Lions tour. Until then he seemed certain to make the tour party, some were even touting him as captain but the size and manner of England’s defeat that day counted heavily against him. Unfairly of course, Robshaw showed two years ago that he was exactly the kind of player a Lions touring party needs on board, but life is unfair and sport often doubly so.
So for the last two years he has been stewing over that defeat. Not so much that you would notice day to day. Robshaw is always polite and helpful and doesn’t go in for naff statements about revenge and redemption. He just puts his head down and trains even harder.
England have played a stack of rugby in between with mixed results but to these eyes Robshaw’s graph has been ever upwards. Incredibly hard working and industrious he completed 26 tackles on Friday night, a remarkable statistic but a contribution you almost take for granted these days.
He has also added strings to his bow. He is more of a lineout presence these days and, mindful of how the modern international game now often hinges on scavenging ball-winning opensides, he has improved his work over the ball.
As a captain he can only lead by example, from the front, he knows no other way and that example is really beginning to shine through. This year is one for deeds not words. It’s all about close to the edge confrontation, always performing at your maximum, and finding a way to win in matches that count.
The media, and in fairness many fans, weren’t entirely happy with England last autumn but none of them could find any fault with Robshaw who put in four massive 80 minutes shifts, the only player from any Test team in the world to log a maximum 320 minutes in November.
The very next week he was outstanding in Quins win over Leinster but wrenched and over-extended his shoulder diving for the ball and severely strained the ligaments. A simple operation would have repaired and strengthened the joint and surrounding soft tissue and set him up for the huge year that beckoned but would also have meant missing the Wales game. And that simply wasn’t going to happen.
So he opted for physio and a couple of anxious weeks awaited as the shoulder slowly responded. It was a calculated gamble and he could have ended up missing the Wales game and still having to go in for an operation but, as often happens in these cases, it suddenly came good. He was not to be denied his chance to set the record straight in Cardiff.
Robshaw’s build-up started early and even at the Six Nations launch ten days before the match he was in the zone. A lady journalist from one of the Sundays had joined us for the day to ask all the captains about their wives and girlfriends and to glean as much about rugby’s Wag’s as possible.
A smiling, recently married, Sam Warburton joined the fun and provided plenty of light-hearted copy but Robshaw was having none of it. “I thought we were here to discuss rugby,” he snapped. Mentally he was already in Cardiff, already standing in the tunnel waiting to run on and right the wrongs of two years ago. Indeed over the past two years I bet he has visualised that moment scores of times.
Ah yes, the tunnel! That tunnel stand-off was probably the defining moment of the entire evening in Cardiff as Robshaw refused to be rushed out onto the pitch by Six Nations and TV flunkies. No way did he want his England shivering out in the middle of the Millennium Stadium for three or four minutes at the mercy of the crowd while the Welsh cranked up their Grand Entrance.
Those can be nervous distracting match-losing moments and Robshaw was having none of it. It was his Johnno moment and it sent out a big message. England are not going to be pushed around in 2015. No more Mr Nice Guys!
