Select Edition

Northern Northern
Southern Southern
Global Global
NZ NZ

Chris Robshaw backs England and Springboks ahead of the All Blacks for World Cup glory

By Online Editors
England's Chris Robshaw is heading to Major League Rugby. (Photo by David Rogers/Getty Images)

Former England captain Chris Robshaw is tipping either the nation of which he played 66 times for or South Africa to win the World Cup ahead of the All Blacks.

ADVERTISEMENT

Having last played for England last June, Robshaw – who captained his country during their ill-fated 2015 World Cup campaign where they failed to make it out of the pool stages in front of their home fans – didn’t make Eddie Jones’ 31-man squad for this year’s tournament in Japan.

Nevertheless, the 33-year-old loose forward predicts that England and South Africa have enough quality throughout their squads to land the Webb Ellis Cup in November.

“I think it will be between England and South Africa,” he told The Guardian.

His pick at who will challenge for the world title may surprise some, as it is the All Blacks who are heading into the World Cup chasing their third consecutive crown.

“Of course I hope England win it. It would be brilliant for the guys and amazing for the country.

“Seeing the buzz about the football, in both the men’s and women’s World Cup, and now the Ashes, you realise how sport galvanises the country like nothing else. This England side has the potential to do that.”

Robshaw said the New Zealanders would be “thereabouts, but I like the look of England and South Africa.

With 15 players remaining in the England squad from the failed 2015 tournament, Robshaw believed that the hunger and desire within the side following the capitulation four years ago could be enough to spur the team to their second-ever World Cup title.

“I’ll be cheering England on as I’ve still got many friends in the squad. We’ve been through a lot and there are still guys who were with me in 2015. I know how they’ll be feeling, and how they’ll be hurting and wanting to put things right,” he said.

“I’m really excited about England’s chances. They’ve got a fantastic squad from what we’ve seen in the buildup games. They look dangerous and hungry. The pack is big and physical. The backline looks like it could scare anyone. It’s exciting.”

ADVERTISEMENT

After captaining his country 43 times – second only to Will Carling, who led his nation in 59 tests between 1988 and 1996 – Robshaw has accepted that it’s unlikely he’ll ever play for England again.

Chris Robshaw. (Photo by David Rogers/Getty Images)

“It does feel like the end because, realistically, you’re probably not going to play again. I’m 33 now.

“But you get back on the horse and I went to Twickenham with Sky Sports to watch the England [World Cup warm-up] game. After it’s over you feel tired. You’ve seen your old teammates. You’ve had a laugh with some of them. 80,000 people are there. You’re on the pitch. This is what it’s about. This is why you play the game. And now it’s over. After that I was a bit down.”

ADVERTISEMENT

Despite losing his place in the English set-up to younger loose forwards over the course of Jones’ tenure as head coach following the 2015 World Cup, Robshaw remains positive about his accomplishments in the test arena.

“As you get older, and as you move further away from the game, it gets easier. You look back and you think: ‘You know what? I did all right in the end.”

In other news:

Video Spacer
ADVERTISEMENT

Join free

Aotearoa Rugby Podcast | Episode 6

Sam Warburton | The Big Jim Show | Full Episode

Japan Rugby League One | Sungoliath v Eagles | Full Match Replay

Japan Rugby League One | Spears v Wild Knights | Full Match Replay

Boks Office | Episode 10 | Six Nations Final Round Review

Aotearoa Rugby Podcast | How can New Zealand rugby beat this Ireland team

Beyond 80 | Episode 5

Rugby Europe Men's Championship Final | Georgia v Portugal | Full Match Replay

Trending on RugbyPass

Comments

Join free and tell us what you really think!

Sign up for free
ADVERTISEMENT

Latest Features

Comments on RugbyPass

J
Jon 8 hours ago
Jake White: Are modern rugby players actually better?

This is the problem with conservative mindsets and phycology, and homogenous sports, everybody wants to be the same, use the i-win template. Athlete wise everyone has to have muscles and work at the gym to make themselves more likely to hold on that one tackle. Do those players even wonder if they are now more likely to be tackled by that player as a result of there “work”? Really though, too many questions, Jake. Is it better Jake? Yes, because you still have that rugby of ole that you talk about. Is it at the highest International level anymore? No, but you go to your club or checkout your representative side and still engage with that ‘beautiful game’. Could you also have a bit of that at the top if coaches encouraged there team to play and incentivized players like Damian McKenzie and Ange Capuozzo? Of course we could. Sadly Rugby doesn’t, or didn’t, really know what direction to go when professionalism came. Things like the state of northern pitches didn’t help. Over the last two or three decades I feel like I’ve been fortunate to have all that Jake wants. There was International quality Super Rugby to adore, then the next level below I could watch club mates, pulling 9 to 5s, take on the countries best in representative rugby. Rugby played with flair and not too much riding on the consequences. It was beautiful. That largely still exists today, but with the world of rugby not quite getting things right, the picture is now being painted in NZ that that level of rugby is not required in the “pathway” to Super Rugby or All Black rugby. You might wonder if NZR is right and the pathway shouldn’t include the ‘amateur’, but let me tell you, even though the NPC might be made up of people still having to pull 9-5s, we know these people still have dreams to get out of that, and aren’t likely to give them. They will be lost. That will put a real strain on the concept of whether “visceral thrill, derring-do and joyful abandon” type rugby will remain under the professional level here in NZ. I think at some point that can be eroded as well. If only wanting the best athlete’s at the top level wasn’t enough to lose that, shutting off the next group, or level, or rugby players from easy access to express and showcase themselves certainly will. That all comes back around to the same question of professionalism in rugby and whether it got things right, and rugby is better now. Maybe the answer is turning into a “no”?

35 Go to comments
j
john 11 hours ago
Will the Crusaders' decline spark a slow death for New Zealand rugby?

But here in Australia we were told Penney was another gun kiwi coach, for the Tahs…….and yet again it turned out the kiwi coach was completely useless. Another con job on Australian rugby. As was Robbie Deans, as was Dave Rennie. Both coaches dumped from NZ and promoted to Australia as our saviour. And the Tahs lap them up knowing they are second rate and knowing that under pressure when their short comings are exposed in Australia as well, that they will fall in below the largest most powerful province and choose second rate Tah players to save their jobs. As they do and exactly as Joe Schmidt will do. Gauranteed. Schmidt was dumped by NZ too. That’s why he went overseas. That why kiwi coaches take jobs in Australia, to try and prove they are not as bad as NZ thought they were. Then when they get found out they try and ingratiate themselves to NZ again by dragging Australian teams down with ridiculous selections and game plans. NZ rugby’s biggest problem is that it can’t yet transition from MCaw Cheatism. They just don’t know how to try and win on your merits. It is still always a contest to see how much cheating you can get away with. Without a cheating genius like McCaw, they are struggling. This I think is why my wise old mate in NZ thinks Robertson will struggle. The Crusaders are the nursery of McCaw Cheatism. Sean Fitzpatrick was probably the father of it. Robertson doesn’t know anything else but other countries have worked it out.

44 Go to comments
TRENDING
TRENDING Louis Rees-Zammit signs for Roc Nation ahead of his Kansas visit Louis Rees-Zammit signs for Roc Nation ahead of his Kansas visit
Search