The Mirror rugby correspondent believes being relieved of the captaincy may be a blessing in disguise for both Robshaw and England
Chris Robshaw returns to Twickenham on Sunday for the first time since the World Cup. It will be a bittersweet reunion.
He left the stadium in October with jeers ringing in his ears, captain of the first World Cup host nation to bomb out in the pool stages.
‘Fortress Twickenham’, England had told us so often that even they started to believe it, would be the 16th man.
It didn’t work out that way.
England were wiped out there by Australia, a week after letting victory escape their clutch against Wales in that game where you know who did you know what.
It is doubtful a day has passed since then that Robshaw has not thought about, or been reminded of, his decision to go for the corner rather than the posts against Wales.
England sacrificed the likelihood of a draw for the outside possibility of a win. Robshaw called for the lineout, large swathes of the nation called for his head.
So this Sunday, when he lines up with his Harlequins team awaiting the referee’s instruction to take to the pitch against Gloucester in Big Game 8, he will look to his left and, in all probability, breathe a little sigh.
“Hundreds before you, thousands around you, millions behind you”, reads the slogan on the tunnel wall.
Millions behind me? Didn’t feel quite that way.
There are, however, few competitors as durable as Robshaw. Which is why he returns to the scene of England’s failure a live contender to retain his place in the side under new head coach Eddie Jones.
Not as openside – Jones has made that much clear – but quite conceivably in the No. 6 position where he has looked so accomplished playing for Quins these past few weeks.
Some might say it is an indictment of the English game that no obvious successor to him as captain has emerged. At this stage Jones favours Dylan Hartley, but not everyone would agree.
Others mentioned in despatches include Mike Brown, Joe Launchbury, Tom Wood and even the uncapped Maro Itoje. There is little or no consensus.
“I’m not sure about the captaincy, that’s down to Eddie,” Robshaw said on Thursday.
“If he wants me to continue as England captain I’d be hugely honoured, but if he decides to go for someone else I would respect that decision and fully back the person who comes in.”
That there will be change seems inevitable, and probably healthy.
Robshaw was Stuart Lancaster’s right-hand man. Lancaster has gone, so too his coaches. It is right for Jones to appoint his own man.
So what of Robshaw as a blindside? He is arguably the most consistent player in English club rugby. A forward whose level of performance rarely dips below outstanding.
Leicester will argue for Ed Slater, and anyone who saw his tour de force against Munster last weekend will doubtless nod their head. He was superb.
Wasps will challenge anyone to find fault in the work of their evergreen captain James Haskell in what is turning out to be quite a season for that club.
Wood has his admirers too, and not only in Northampton, whilst over at Bath Matt Garvey has let down nobody since Sam Burgess flew the nest.
But it is hard to get away from Robshaw the player.
Just imagine: without the captaincy issue muddying the waters he would be judged simply on his playing merits.
Selection would again be a level playing field and that, if anything, would bring even more out of both Robshaw and his rivals for the position.
In other words, a win-win for England. We haven’t said that for a while.
READ: Club class puts English rugby back in driving seat after World Cup crash
