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You should expect more casualties like Chris Robshaw

Chris Robshaw (Photo by Steve Bardens/Getty Images for Harlequins)

According to the dictionary, a Harlequin is a mute character in traditional pantomime. Given the situations Chris Robshaw has found himself in, pantomime is an apt description.

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Set to turn 34 in June, this Harlequin is about to bow out of Gallagher Premiership and – by definition international rugby.

Even the most vividly ambitious playwright would struggle to pen the Robshaw tale. Even if they did, they would run out acts to do his story justice.

Every major English rugby storyline for over a decade has had some link to the London-based back row. From the infamous Bloodgate and England’s ignominious exit from a home World Cup to winning the Premiership and being appointed his nation’s youngest captain.

In the good times he never got carried away and in the bad times he bit his lip, did his duty and showed you don’t always have to win to be a hero.

(Continue reading below…)

Andy Goode and Jim Hamilton react to Stuart Hogg’s unfortunate Six Nations error versus Ireland

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On the rare occasions Robshaw intervened on a subject the rugby world would hang on his every word. So it might be fitting, as Robshaw enters his final years of playing, that his impending exit tells a tale of what the English Premiership has become.

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For years the story of the Premiership lay in its brutality. No easy weeks. No let-ups. Teams would face the weekly task of facing down steely opposition and the everlasting conveyor belt of injury, concerns that have now been exacerbated by the salary cap.

The best clubs are a tripartite of coaching systems, injury prevention and squad accountancy. Get one of these wrong and, as Harlequins’ local rivals Saracens can tell you, it’s not just losing games that will land you in the Championship.

The upshot of this is a cold, cruel league where a player’s value has to primarily be based on rugby ability – teams can’t afford to be paying a player for anything other than tangible attributes that help win rugby games. Clubman, leader, old-head – it doesn’t matter. Your only value is how much can you contribute to winning games relative to compatible talent. Even brand value comes a distant second to tackle completion.

This is wonderful for fans. They get to watch one of the best products the sporting world has to offer but as the cap tightens, it’s players like Robshaw that will feel the squeeze because one of his most valuable assets – his brand name – is practically worthless to Premiership teams.

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For the record, I have no idea why Robshaw has decided to leave Harlequins and I’m in no way attributing any motives to him. I simply want to reflect why I consider his situation to be difficult, not only for him but for any team wanting to sign him in the Premiership.

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Chris Robshaw reacts during England’s difficult 2015 World Cup 

At this point, many Premiership fans might be wondering why their team won’t sign the ex-England captain. The answer is: you probably could if your team was prepared to pay a disproportionate amount of salary or Robshaw was prepared to take a substantial pay cut.

At 33, Robshaw has not declined noticeably as a player and even though his leadership skills are rare, his physical skills are not. Without rehashing what type of player Robshaw is, the game has moved away from generalist flankers.

Gone are the Haskells, the Woods and the Crofts. A much more specialised breed of 7s, who might not be as balanced as players but take breakdown work to the next level, have come in. Where Tom Curry and co have evolved into breakdown specialists, Ben Earl, Sam Simmons and Zach Mercer have equally taken back row carrying to similar heights. In other words, if you are a 6ft 2in back row and have no speciality, you’d better be Mark Wilson.

Probably the more pertinent question is why would Robshaw want to go to another Premiership team? Only five years ago Robshaw was England captain and favourite to lift a World Cup. Including endorsements, he was probably earning well over £500k a year.

Any move now would entail a yearly pay packet of about 20 per cent of his peak earnings. Also, factor in the difficulty of leaving a club you have spent 16 years with to play for their competition.

Large pay cuts for older players are not unprecedented. Danny Cipriani reportedly played for a lot less than his market value during his initial one-year deal at Gloucester.

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Chris Robshaw and Conor O’Shea celebrate 2012 Premiership final success (Photo by David Rogers/Getty Images)

A more pertinent example, however, is Robshaw’s fellow 6/7, James Haskell, who was every bit as senior at Wasps as Robshaw is at Harlequins.

Haskell himself has eluded to how much of a pay cut he took to play at Northampton Saints for one year. The big difference is that Cipriani and Haskell both had England in mind. At the start of a new World Cup cycle, this will not be on Robshaw’s horizon.

Earlier on I referenced that the salary cap makes a lot of intangible benefits a player become worthless. To teams outside the Premiership, these very same intangibles will be invaluable which is why it is so smart that Rugby United New York (RUNY) are interested in signing Robshaw.

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Chris Robshaw spoke to RugbyPass last year at a Gallagher Train with your Heroes session at Warlingham RFC

Putting aside the benefits of living in New York for a few years this is a great fit. It allows the player to leverage his greatest asset, his brand name, and it will set the standards for everyone lucky enough to be in his orbit.

His intangibles that were not worth in England much will be invaluable to RUNY, from press appearances to working with sponsors and attracting the good people of New York to the great game of rugby union. And obviously, he is still a damn fine player.

Not that this move is yet confirmed at time of writing, but whatever Robshaw does next you can guarantee that when the definitive history of rugby is written, leather-bound and shelved, there will be more than a couple of chapters dedicated to a man that gave it is all.

I suspect I speak for most Premiership rugby fans when I say, ‘Thank you and good luck’.

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Trevor 2 hours ago
Will forgotten Wallabies fit the Joe Schmidt model?

Thanks Brett.. At last a positive article on the potential of Wallaby candidates, great to read. Schmidt’s record as an international rugby coach speaks for itself, I’m somewhat confident he will turn the Wallaby’s fortunes around …. on the field. It will be up to others to steady the ship off the paddock. But is there a flaw in my optimism? We have known all along that Australia has the players to be very competitive with their international rivals. We know that because everyone keeps telling us. So why the poor results? A question that requires a definitive answer before the turn around can occur. Joe Schmidt signed on for 2 years, time to encompass the Lions tour of 2025. By all accounts he puts family first and that’s fair enough, but I would wager that his 2 year contract will be extended if the next 18 months or so shows the statement “Australia has the players” proves to be correct. The new coach does not have a lot of time to meld together an outfit that will be competitive in the Rugby Championship - it will be interesting to see what happens. It will be interesting to see what happens with Giteau law, the new Wallaby coach has already verbalised that he would to prefer to select from those who play their rugby in Australia. His first test in charge is in July just over 3 months away .. not a long time. I for one wish him well .. heaven knows Australia needs some positive vibes.

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Bull Shark 6 hours ago
Jake White: Are modern rugby players actually better?

Of the rugby I’ve born witness to in my lifetime - 1990 to date - I recognize great players throughout those years. But I have no doubt the game and the players are on average better today. So I doubt going back further is going to prove me wrong. The technical components of the game, set pieces, scrums, kicks, kicks at goal. And in general tactics employed are far more efficient, accurate and polished. Professional athletes that have invested countless hours on being accurate. There is one nation though that may be fairly competitive in any era - and that for me is the all blacks. And New Zealand players in general. NZ produces startling athletes who have fantastic ball skills. And then the odd phenomenon like Brooke. Lomu. Mcaw. Carter. Better than comparing players and teams across eras - I’ve often had this thought - that it would be very interesting to have a version of the game that is closer to its original form. What would the game look like today if the rules were rolled back. Not rules that promote safety obviously - but rules like: - a try being worth 1 point and conversion 2 points. Hence the term “try”. Earning a try at goals. Would we see more attacking play? - no lifting in the lineouts. - rucks and break down laws in general. They looked like wrestling matches in bygone eras. I wonder what a game applying 1995 rules would look like with modern players. It may be a daft exercise, but it would make for an interesting spectacle celebrating “purer” forms of the game that roll back the rules dramatically by a few versions. Would we come to learn that some of the rules/combinations of the rules we see today have actually made the game less attractive? I’d love to see an exhibition match like that.

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