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'I just broke down' - Haunted Robshaw admits leaving pitch in tears despite winning match

By Ian Cameron

Former England captain Chris Robshaw admits he broke down in tears following a victory over Wales in the 2016 Six Nations.

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The Harlequins captain was speaking to BT Sports Rugby Tonight about how he dealt with leading England’s unsuccessful 2015 Rugby World Cup campaign, where despite being hosts England didn’t emerge from the pool stages of the competition.

The 32-year-old admits that the pool stage loss to Wales, and the World Cup in general, has left him scarred. The Redhill born forward – who is ranked as the 13th best blindside in the Premiership by the RugbyPass Index – was remarkably candid.

“We played Wales and beat them, and almost lost actually at the end unfortunately,” Robshaw told the panel. “We’re doing a lap of honour and I just couldn’t couldn’t hold it in.”

“We were going into the changing room and I just broke down. I think emotionally it just all kind of came out. The players were brilliant around me.”

“That and then beating Australia that summer was definitely kind of closure on that chapter for me.”

The 66 times capped flanker is currently recovering from injury but is expected to be available for Harlequins and potentially England.

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The 32-year-old underwent surgery on a knee injury sustained in the Gallagher Premiership Fixture against Saracens in October.

Speaking in October, Harlequins Head of Rugby Paul Gustard commented: “We are hugely disappointed to lose Chris for a short period of time while he recovers from this injury.

“Not least because he has been one of our standout performers across our first seven games this season and also because this period in the calendar provides the opportunity to represent England in the Autumn Internationals and I am sure he would have featured strongly in Eddie Jones’ plans for those matches.

“Knowing Chris’ character and resilience I am confident he will make the most of this opportunity and come back even better and stronger. He will still play an active role in leading our team despite not being able to take the field.”

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J
Jon 9 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”?

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