Robshaw: Ex-England captain took Kyle Sinckler aside over discipline
Chris Robshaw has warned his Harlequins teammates their European Challenge Cup title bid will “self-implode” unless they deal with the mental pressure of trying to defeat Clermont Auvergne in Saturday’ semi-final in France.
Harlequins are facing the second best team in the Top14 who average more than seven tries a match in the Challenge Cup and will be backed by a vociferous Stade Marcel-Michelin crowd.
However, Robshaw has previous experience of upsetting the odds on French soil helping the three times Challenge Cup winners to stun big spending Stade Francais at the Stade de France in 2008 when the hosts boasted Sergio Parisse, Mathieu Bastareaud and Juan Martín Hernández.
Robshaw, who has recaptured the form that won him 66 England caps, knows that discipline in the cauldron of the Stade will be vital for a Quins side that is chasing European glory and a Gallagher Premiership play-off place this season. As the club’s co-captain, he has spoken to volatile England prop Kyle Sinckler who has found it difficult to avoid being wound up by the opposition in recent months, culminating in a needless yellow card for slapping Sale’s Faf de Klerk in the chest.
The former England captain knows that trying to stem the yellow and blue tide on Saturday with 14 men at any point will be a nightmare and said: “We know we are going to be put under severe pressure in Clermont and the bounce of the ball will do against us along with some decisions and we need to stay controlled and composed. If we can do that we will be in a good place and you don’t want to get caught up in the emotion, get a bit loose that is when you self-implode and give another penalty away. It spirals.
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“Discipline is a fine balance and having been through the roller coaster of rugby, I had a good chat with Kyle who gave a few penalties away against Sale and got wound up. As a senior guy it is about team management and understanding what they need and it could be just being there and letting them know you can help. There are some guys who respond to the stick and other who respond to a hot chocolate and a chat.
“If you look at the Clermont team then they could be in the semis of the Heineken Cup and Damian Penaud is very dangerous. The city will shut down for this game and these are the games where you want to test yourself and see what you are about.”
Robshaw, who is desperate to secure a place in England’s World Cup squad in Japan to help erase the memories of the failed 2015 campaign on home soil, believes he is now operating a the exacting level he sets himself having fought back from knee surgery which halted his international career in the Autumn and for the Six Nations.
His link with England is through defence coach John Mitchell who is tasked with keeping in contact with the back row players vying for squad places.
He added: “Eddie drops me texts but you tend to have a point of contact and that is John Mitchell. I am desperate to go to Japan and fingers crossed I can sneak into the World Cup squad having been out of contention for a while.
“When you come back from injury it takes four or five games to feel really sharp and I now feel back to the level I need, particularly in the contact area. As a team we have let ourselves down in our last four Premiership games, going into our shells but we are enjoying our rugby and are a dangerous team. Anything is possible.”
Comments on RugbyPass
smith at 9 / mounga 10 / laumape 12 / fainganuku 14
36 Go to commentsBar the injuries, it’s pretty much their top team …
2 Go to commentsDon’t disagree with much of this but it appears you forgot Rodda and Beale, who started at the Force on the weekend.
9 Go to commentsExcept for the injured Zach Gallagher this would be Saders best forward pack for the season. Blackadder needs to stay at 7, for all of Christies tackling he is not dominant and offers very little else. McNicholfullback is maybe a good option, Fihaki not really upto it, there was a reason Burke played there last year. Maybe Havilli to 2nd five McLeod to wing. Need a strong winger on 1 side to compliment Reece
1 Go to commentsTo me TJ is clearly the best 9 in the competition right now but he's also a proven player off the bench, there's few playmaking players who can come off the bench as calm and settled as he is, Beauden can, TJ can and I doubt any of the scrumhalves in contention can, if they want to experiment with new 9s I want him on the bench ready to step in if they crumble under the pressure. The Boks put their best front row on the bench, I'd like to see us take a similar approach, the Hurricanes have been doing similar things with players like Kirifi.
36 Go to commentsROG has better chance to win a WC if he starts training and make himself eligible as a player. He won’t make the Ireland squad but I reckon he may get close with Namibia (needs to improve his Afrikaans) or Portugal. Both sides had 1000:1 odds to win the RWC in 2023 which is an improvement on ROG’s odds of winning a RWC as a coach. Unlike Top 14 teams, national teams can’t go shopping and buy the best players - you work with the available talent pool and turn them into world beaters.
2 Go to commentsthat backline nope that backline is terrible why would you have sevu Reece when he’s not even top 5 wingers in the comp why have Blackadder when there’s better players no Scott barret isn’t an automatic the guy is more of a liability than anything why have him there when you have samipeni who’s far far better
36 Go to commentsAh, good to find you Nick. Agree with everything about Cale. So much to like about his game
49 Go to commentsNot too bad. Questions at 6, lock and HB for me. The ABs will be a lot stronger once Jordan and Roigard return. Also, work needs to be made to secure Frizzell back for next season and maybe also Mo’unga; they’re just wasting time playing in japan
36 Go to commentsOn the title, i wonder for many of those people it is a case something like a belief in working smarter, not harder?
1 Go to commentsForget Sotutu. One of those whose top level is Super Rugby. Id take a punt on Wallace Sititi Finau ahead of Glass body Blackadder.
36 Go to commentsI’m a pensioner so I've been around a bit. My opinion of SBW is he is an elite athlete and a great New Zealander and roll model. He has been to the top and knows what he's talking about. To all the negative comments regarding SBW the typical New Zealand way, cut that tall poppy down.
17 Go to commentsI'm not listening to a guy moralise over others when this is the guy who walked out mid season on Canterbury RLFC when he had a contract with them, what a hypocrite. All the Kiwis sticking up for this unprincipled individual because they can't accept justified criticism, he has zero credibility or integrity. Those praising him are a joke.
17 Go to commentsI’d put Finau at 6 instead of Blackadder but that’s the only change I’d make. Can’t wait to see who Razor picks.
36 Go to commentsTamati Williams, Codie Taylor, and Same Cane? Not sure about Hoskins Sotutu at test level. Wasn’t that impressive last season. Need a balance between experience and talent/youth.
36 Go to commentsInteresting insight. Fantastic athlete, and a genuine human being.
17 Go to commentsThey played at night in Suva last weekend and it’s an afternoon game forecast for 19 degrees in Canberra this weekend. Heat change is a non issue.
2 Go to commentsWishing Rosie a speedy recovery
1 Go to commentsObscene that SA haven’t been knocking
1 Go to commentsChances of Blackadder being injured seem too high to give him serious consideration. ABs loosie combination finally looked good with 2 committed to tackling and clearing rucks in the centre and Ardie roaming. Hoskins/Ardie together would force one of them into where they don’t excel and don’t get to use their talent, or require a change in tactics. If we continue to evolve last years systems I would take Papali’i and Finau at 6 and 7 (conceding that Blackadder will be injured) and Ardie at 8.
36 Go to comments