'Everyone says we're a million dollars, working hard, pushing more in the gym, running further... but so is everyone else'
So much for all those best-laid plans at Harlequins. With Paul Gustard insisting he wanted to do better this term than last season’s fifth-place Gallagher Premiership finish, there were high hopes around the Stoop that they would get off to a flyer during the World Cup delayed start to this year’s tournament.
Instead, they have flattered to deceive. One win in four outings is exactly the same return they managed at the beginning of last year’s Premiership, their first under the ambitious Gustard.
It’s always the way when you train like Tarzan during the pre-season – you never do have any real idea as to whether all that exertion will definitely pay off in terms of match results when it comes to the settling-in phase of a campaign.
Losing to Exeter, Northampton and Worcester has simply been no fun at all, Harlequins’ round two win over current league leaders Bristol their only straw to clutch as they pause their domestic efforts and turn attention to Saturday’s daunting Champions Cup trip to Clermont.
“It is tough,” admitted skipper Chris Robshaw to RugbyPass, reflecting on the scores that haven’t matched the optimism generated by his squad flogging themselves on the summer training ground in Guildford.
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“Pre-season, everyone says ‘we are a million dollars, we are working hard, we’re pushing more in the gym, we’re lifting more, we’re running further’, all this kind of stuff and you are – but so is everyone else and everyone’s grass is green.
“Then you get into it… we had a good game against Exeter, didn’t quite come away with it. Very tough conditions against Bristol and unfortunately we got served up by Northampton (and beaten by Worcester).
“We’ll park that and go into the Champions Cup and then the excitement really starts. Clermont away in the first game, there is no better club stadium in world rugby I don’t think and we have been lucky enough to experience that in the semi-final of the Challenge last year. Unfortunately, we lost but it was a close game (32-27) and hopefully we can do one better.”
? It was a wild ride when we played Clermont last season!
? Watch the highlights from a thrilling match.#COYQ pic.twitter.com/5rIgXmcBri
— Harlequins ? (@Harlequins) November 13, 2019
Now 33, Robshaw has come a long way in recent times from the sullen, under-fire character who skippered England to their miserable pool stage elimination at the 2015 World Cup. Guarded interviews have given way to much more openness, an approachability that is serving him well now that his Test career is seemingly past tense having not been capped by Eddie Jones since June 2018.
Looking back at the World Cup that has just finished in Japan, he suggests that the experience encountered by the beaten finalists was a far cry from the dynamic that enveloped the England squad for years ago at their own World Cup.
“You look at the ability of a lot of players coming through and having that World Cup experience, they knew what it was like and after the pressure of playing at home in a World Cup they went over there and speaking to a lot of guys, they felt they could escape that and they could get away from it.
‘In England, it felt – myself as well – it was all-encompassing. You couldn’t go for coffee, you couldn’t do much because it was huge whereas over there you see the guys in (Tokyo) Disneyland, on the beach, all this kind of stuff. They were able to get the maximum intensity in games but then come away from it and really relax.”
The closest the 66-cap Robshaw came to the action was watching from his sofa 6,000 miles away. For sure, it made for quite a different experience than being out there on the pitch leading his country as he did four years ago. But he was able to appreciate it all the same as seeing the excitement of the fans at home gave him a flavour of the sport he had largely lost sight of.
“I was watching (the final) at home. We didn’t get home (from Northampton) until probably one o’clock in the morning so I just watched it at home on the sofa and relaxed. It was tough. You feel for the guys as well – you have a lot of good friends there.
Exciting week ahead @Harlequins pic.twitter.com/Hio8o8uEdI
— Chris Robshaw (@ChrisRobshaw) November 11, 2019
“You can see things aren’t going to plan. You feel for Kyle (Sinckler), being a World Cup final and knocked out in the first five minutes or less. That was tough. You see their faces after the game. They had so much hope and excitement going into that game, to come around on the wrong side of a lot of decisions, to not get where they wanted to do, was very difficult.
“This World Cup was very different to the one four years ago where I had the incredible high to be leading the side and the incredible low of losing to Wales and Australia and it was tough. This time as a spectator, as a fan, it was different.
“Seeing how excited people were and how that galvanised the country, it was really interesting to see that because sometimes in sport, you don’t realise. You go from hotel to stadium and back to hotel. You might have a day off where you go for coffees but to actually see that… I live in a rugby area and you see the buzz around it and it was brilliant. Of course, there was a huge low in the final but England can come back from that.”
Aside from club duty with Harlequins, Robshaw busied himself during the World Cup with plenty of media work and even a day out with a DNA company to discover his mixed heritage. The punditry was interesting from the perspective that he was mingling with people from other sports who were taking a rare look at the rugby from the Far East.
“It’s a different challenge and you have got to challenge yourself in different ways, don’t you? You have to continue to further yourself or life gets a bit boring. It’s using language in a different way. You are mixing with different people who have a different perspective on things, going into radio where it is a predominantly football show and seeing their perspective for an outside view in getting drawn to a World Cup because that is what we do.
“You get excited and you get drawn to these big things, Olympics, World Cups, huge tournaments, Commonwealth, where they really capture the nation. To hear their perspective as well and what they thought of our sport was intriguing.”
English, I knew. But Scandinavian? South American? Never saw that coming! Watch me get my MyHeritage DNA results. Order your kit today at: https://t.co/Xar4mOec9G and use code CHRIS to get free shipping @MyHeritage #ad pic.twitter.com/ICoZCNos3G
— Chris Robshaw (@ChrisRobshaw) November 1, 2019
As for the heritage exercise, there were some revelations. “I found out I was one per cent Latino which I never thought I would be. Seeing me dance, it’s not something I can imagine. And a bit Scandinavian.
“It was an interesting experiment to see where I was from. I knew the basis where I am English with a bit of German in me – my grandma was German – but there was a bit more Scandinavian, a small bit of Welsh and Scottish. Only small though… it’s good fun. You get to know a bit more about yourself and it is amazing what they can actually find out.”
A bit like Harlequins as they set out on their European path at Clermont… they will quickly get to know more about themselves after a troubled star to the Premiership.
WATCH: World Cup-winning captain Siya Kolisi makes a speech to South African fans in Cape Town
Comments on RugbyPass
“But with an exceptional pass accuracy rating “ Which apart from Roigard is not a feature of any of the other 9s in NZ. Kind of basic for a Black 9 dont.you. think? Yet we keep seeing FC and TJ being rated ahead of him? Weird if it’s seen as vital to get our backline beating in your face defences.
1 Go to commentsThanks BeeMc! Looks like many teams need extra time to settle from the quadrennial northern migration. I think generally the quality of the Rugby has held up. Fiji has been fantastic and fun to watch
13 Go to commentsLets compare apples with apples. Lyon sent weak team the week before, but nobody raised an eyebrow. Give the South African teams a few years to build their depth, then you will be moaning that the teams are too strong.
41 Go to commentsDid footballs agents also perform the scout role at some time? I’m surprised more high profile players haven’t taken up the occupation, great way to remain in the game and use all that experience without really requiring a lot of specific expertise?
1 Go to commentsSuper rugby is struggling but that has little to do with sabbaticals. 1. Too many teams from Aust and NZ - should be 3 and 4 respectively, add in 2 from Japan, 1 possibly 2 from Argentina. 2. Inconsistent and poor refereeing, admittedly not restricted to Super rugby. Only one team was reffed at the breakdown in Reds v H’Landers match. Scrum penalty awarded in Canes v Drua when No 8 had the ball in the open with little defence nearby - ideal opportunity to play advantage. Coming back to Reds match - same scrum situation but ref played advantage - Landers made 10 yards and were penalised at the breakdown when the ref should have returned to scrum penalty. 3. Marketing is weak and losing ground to AFL and NRL. Playing 2 days compared with 4. 4. Scheduling is unattractive to family attendance. Have any franchises heard of Sundays 2pm?
11 Go to commentsAbsolutely..all they need is a chance in yhe playoffs and I bet all the other teams will be nervous…THEY KNOW HOW TO WIN IM THE PLAYOFFS..
2 Go to commentsI really hope he comes back and helps out with some coaching.
1 Go to commentsI think we are all just hoping that the Olympic 7s doesn’t suffer the same sad fate as the last RWC with the officials ruining the spectacle.
1 Go to commentsPersonally, I’ve lost the will to even be bothered about the RFU, the structure, the participants. It’s all a sham. I now simply enjoy getting a group of friends together to go and watch a few games a year in different locations (including Europe, the championship, etc). I feel extremely sorry for the real fans of these clubs who are constantly ignored by the RFU and other administrators. I feel especially sorry for the fans of clubs in the Championship who have had considerable central funding stripped away and are then expected to just take whatever the RFU put to them. Its all a sham, especially if the failed clubs are allowed to return.
9 Go to commentsI’m guessing Carl Hayman would have preferred to have stayed in NZ with benefit of hindsight. Up north there is the expectation to play twice as many games with far less ‘player management’ protocols that Paul is now criticising. Less playing through concussions means longer, healthier, careers. Carter used as the eg here by Paul, his sabbatical allowed him to play until age 37. OK its not an exact science but there is far more expectations on players who sign for Top 14 or Engl Prem clubs to get value for the huge salaries. NZR get alot wrong but keeping their best players in NZ rugby is not one of them. SA clubs are virtually devoid of their top players now, no thanks. They cant threaten the big teams in the Champions Cup, the squads have little depth. Cant see Canes/Chiefs struggling. Super has been great this year, fantastic high skill matches. Drua a fantastic addition and Jaguares will add another quality team eventually. Aus teams performing strongly and no doubt will benefit with the incentive of a Lions tour and a home RWC. Let Jordie enjoy his time with Leinster, it will allow the opportunity for another player to emerge at Canes in his absence.
11 Go to commentsLove that man, his way to despise angry little men is so funny ! 😂
4 Go to comments“South African franchises would be powerhouses if we had all our overseas based players back in situ. We would have the same unbeatable aura the Toulouses, Leinsters or Saracens of this world have had over the last decade or so.” Proof that Jake white does not understand the economics of the game in SA. Players earning abroad are not going to simply come back and represent the bulls. But they might if they have a springbok contract.
22 Go to commentsA lot of fans just joined in for the fun of it! We all admire O'Gara and what he has done for La Rochelle
4 Go to commentsThe RFU will find a way to mess this up as usual. My bet is there will be no promotion into the the Premiership, only relegation into National League One. Hopefully they won’t parachute failed clubs into the league at the expense of clubs who have battled for promotion.
9 Go to commentsWell that’s the contracts for RG and Jordie bought and paid for. Now, what are the chances we can persuade Antoine to hop over with all the extra dosh we’ll have from living at the Aviva & Croke next season…??? 🤑🤑🤑
35 Go to commentsWow, that’s incredible. Great for rugby.
35 Go to commentsYou probably read that parling is going to coach the wallaby lineout but if not before now you have.
17 Go to commentsIf someone like Leo Cullen was in O’Gara’s place I don’t hear Boo-ing. It’s not just that La Rochelle has hurt Leinster and O’Gara is their Irish boss. It’s the needle that he brings and the pantomime activity before the game around pretending that Munster were supporting LaRochelle just because O’Gara is from Cork. That’s dividing Irish provinces just to get an advantage for his French Team. He can F*ck right off with that. BOOOOO! (but not while someone is lying injured)
4 Go to commentsDid the highlanders party too hard before the game? They were the pits.
1 Go to commentsWhat a player! Not long until he’s in the England side, surely?
5 Go to comments