Dan Robson: My battle with Joe Simpson can help Test bid
Frustrated at playing second fiddle to Greig Laidlaw, Robson left Kingsholm last year to take his chances at ambitious Wasps, where his battle with pivot partner Joe Simpson, below, has proved a key component of the club’s impressive Premiership resurgence.
Newly promoted to England’s 45-man EPS squad, Stoke-born Robson told The Rugby Paper: “The move did a lot for me. I was only 22 when I made my decision to leave Gloucester, but I felt I was getting stagnant and wasn’t pushing myself hard enough there.
“I always felt confident with my own ability but I wasn’t getting enough starts, so moving to Wasps was massively exciting and it’s kind of re-ignited me.
“You obviously get confidence from being in a winning team but I’m really enjoying my rugby here, and my battle with Joe Simpson is pushing us both up to a new level. I have a lot of good memories of Gloucester – I started my rugby career there really, they gave me my chance and you want to see them do well, so it’s not nice to see where they are – but coming to Wasps, with the way we’re playing, has been inspiring.”
Of his hopes for a first Test cap this autumn, Robson adds: “It’s a goal for anyone, but the main thing for me and Joe right now is to keep battling each other.
“It worked last season and we’ve carried that on. We’ve upped our game massively and playing with confidence has helped us push for further recognition.
“It’s pleasing to get in that England squad so I’ve got to keep doing what I’m doing, enjoying my rugby, and if something comes off the back of that, brilliant.”
Robson is the fulcrum of the Premiership’s deadliest attack, with 26 tries in five games lending credence to Wasps’ hopes of claiming a first title since 2008.
Hapless Harlequins felt the full force at the Ricoh Arena last weekend, where despite enjoying 70 per cent possession they had seven tries put past them.
Robson explained: “We were very clinical. It’s a massive part of our game and we’ve been challenged there. But we really back ourselves and (backs coach) Lee Blackett gives us a lot of confidence in our attack and a lot of freedom to play what we see.
“Against Harlequins we had eight or nine chances and scored seven tries, which is phenomenal really and something we want to keep working hard on.
“Phil Blake’s working hard on our defence and if we do that well and put teams under pressure, from turnover ball we’re pretty deadly. If you give guys like Elliot Daly and Christian Wade half a gap, they’ll take it and most likely we’ll end up scoring.
“In big games you’re not going to get a huge number of chances, but if we take the ones we get we know we’ll come out on the right side of results.”
NEALE HARVEY
