“Chris Robshaw’s done well, but Tom Croft must play”, says Lewis Moody

Sir Ian McGeechan insists a specialist openside is the key to a great team, but former England skipper Lewis Moody says Chris Robshaw‘s performances are proof there’s more than one way to build an international back row.
Bursting on to the scene as a blindside, switching to openside while leading England – the similarities between Robshaw and Moody are clear for all to see.
Detractors will argue it is no coincidence that the world’s two premier opensides Richie McCaw and David Pocock are captains of the top two teams in the IRB world rankings.
However, Moody insists there is no need to pick the traditional fetcher simply for the sake of it and believes Robshaw can underline that theory in the autumn internationals.
He told The Rugby Paper: “I think in the modern game there is less and less call for the out-and-out openside.
“You have the individuals like McCaw and Pocock who do it very well but you look at the French and South Africans who have an all-round back row with huge individuals that carry the ball hard and are a nuisance at the breakdown.
“It will be interesting to see whether Stuart Lancaster goes for an out-and-out seven but I have to admit I thought Chris Robshaw did a great job in the summer.
“His ball-stealing, his strength over the ball at the breakdown, he’d obviously been working very hard in that area, and I thought he did a great job.
“We’ve shown there’s no reason why you can’t move from six to seven. It’s slightly more technical, but Chris has shown he can do it.
“McCaw is still an incredible player but perhaps not quite the player he was and Pocock is the new ambassador in that position, taking it by storm.
“He will be the big test for Chris to see where he really stands. Chris will have to get into those guys early to stop them getting a chance to get to the breakdowns if we want to keep our own ball.”
Moody, who announced his retirement in March, has clearly been impressed by Robshaw’s displays since taking the captaincy in February.
However it is former Leicester teammate Tom Croft whom Moody considers the only nailed-on starter in the back row.
Moody explained: “I want to see Tom Croft back on the pitch and reignite his form in time for the Lions tour – he’s a fantastic athlete. Croft, if he’s fit, will be the starting six without a doubt, and then Chris Robshaw will be fighting off a few younger guys for that seven shirt.
“Hopefully Chris will get more opportunities but his position will constantly come under threat with the strength in depth in the back row.
“When each individual place is never assured then every player has to keep pushing themselves – even the captain. It’s a great position Stuart (Lancaster) finds himself in.
“I remember Martin Johnson was left out during his reign (against Italy in 2002). It was probably Clive (Woodward) just trying to prove a point because Johnno was always captain to the team, no matter whether he played or not, but you have to earn your place.
“I knew that when I played, even as captain. People around you might think you are guaranteed a spot but as the individual you never feel that.”
Moody was skipper the last time England beat a Southern Hemisphere side, a 35-18 win over Australia in November 2010.
England face a tough schedule this autumn with South Africa, Australia and then New Zealand in successive weeks.
Moody added: “The result of the Six Nations was wonderful for Stuart and his entourage with the new coaches.
“They are creating a little unit, a working unit together. They made the players respect them and want to play for them. That was very important.
“The way they played on  the summer tour was courageous. They battled back in some of the games where past England touring sides could have been quite easily whitewashed.
“Buy they need to take the scalp of a Southern Hemisphere team in November – and I’m not talking about Fiji – so they know they can really take it to the big boys. That’s where sides take confidence, when they beat the Southern Hemisphere sides.”
PAUL EDDISON