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Willis vs Currys: Chris Robshaw previews key Lions showdown
By Chris Jones
Former England captain Chris Robshaw and James Haskell were the original members of the six-and-a-half club, which is now one of the most popular in rugby.
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Eddie Jones, the former England coach, celebrated Robshaw and Haskell’s success in proving you don’t need to pigeon hole yourself in a back-row role with commemorative T-shirts showcasing their hybrid number after securing the 2016 Grand Slam with the pair helping secure a whitewash over the Wallabies in Australia that summer.
As Robshaw reflected with RugbyPass on that period of his 66-cap test career there was suddenly the realisation that the 38-year-old had missed a gold marketing opportunity.
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“The club has grown hasn’t it and maybe we should have got some membership deal organised!” said the Harlequins legend, who led the club to Premiership glory in 2012.
“It seems that at the moment all flankers out there are hybrid playing both roles with even some second rows playing No.6. Players now need to have that variety in their game and it is not so much being set in a mould.
“The game has certainly changed and now you have someone like Ben Earl who can play centre in a Test match and that is formidable. It is the way the game has gone with more flexibility and when you talk about the great England back row of Richard Hill, Neil Back and Lawrence Dallaglio then the seven (Back) had the role of competing on the floor and fetching.
“It didn’t matter if they didn’t do anything else in the game because that was their role.
“Now, wingers, full-backs and props get over the ball and win turnovers. Antoine Dupont is winning turnovers every game and back in the day could you ever imagine Matt Dawson going into a breakdown?!
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“The game is constantly evolving with centres as big as second rows and that process is continuing with games much quicker. The back-five of the scrum are able to interchange with second rows now comfortable with ball in hand and even when I started playing the big lumps only hit rucks and mauls.”
Jack Willis is one of the outstanding English back-row forwards delivering world-class performances every week but cannot be picked by England because he is tearing up trees in the colours of Toulouse, red hot favourites to add another Investec European Champions Cup title to their honours board.
Willis and Scotland’s Blair Kinghorn, favourite to be the Lions full-back, are likely to be involved in the Top 14 finals with Toulouse, which will delay travelling to join the Lions. If selected, Kinghorn and Willis may not be in Australia until the third fixture raising serious doubts over their involvement.
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Robshaw is convinced Kinghorn will tour but keeping two places open for late arrivals could be too much of a gamble.
“What has impressed me about Jack Willis is that he has captained a side as a foreigner in a competitive back row and that speaks volumes for how well he is respected in a team of ‘Galacticos’. There is so much competition for that Lions back row and Andy Farrell (the Lions head coach) has said no one is being ruled out because of where they play,” Robshaw said.
“Jack will want to perform well against Ben and Tom Curry in the Sale Sharks back row this weekend. I think Kinghorn is a shoe-in and will start the Tests and there will be more flexibility [for him] because there are not as many out-and-out full-backs vying for the Lions in comparison to the back row candidates.
“Toulouse are going to be in the finals and for players to go to Australia for the third game with jet lag protocols and all that sort of stuff does count against him (Willis) a bit.”
Sale Sharks have the daunting task of trying to win in Toulouse but Robshaw insists it isn’t a hopeless cause and believes leading six-and-a-half club members Ben and Tom Curry, along with George Ford, could deliver an upset.
He said: “I would love to see both Curry brothers playing centre – that would be an interesting combination! Sale will need to keep it very tight and with Dupont missing there is an area that can be targeted.
“Ford is putting in a bid to be on the Lions plane to Australia and this is a great opportunity to remind the selectors about his skills and he could sneak into that squad.
“Let’s not beat around the bush; Dupont will be a massive loss because everything revolves around him and that is the heartbeat of the side. It’s not hopeless for Sale.”
Robshaw’s former club Harlequins have always played in a cavalier style and their challenge this weekend is to try and knock over European giants Leinster in Dublin in a daunting Champions Cup clash with Marcus Smith providing the attacking spark.
Smith’s attempt to secure an outside-half role on the Lions tour this summer is being hampered by circumstance with constant diversions into the No.15 role due to his versatility.
“We need Marcus Smith back to his free flowing best to provide the platform and the club’s history tells you Quins will always back themselves in a one-off game,” Robshaw said.
“They will be relishing the occasion and playing in front of 80,000 people in an historic stadium. There will be hostility and as a player you will want to make the most of it.
“There is no choice for Quins and if they try and play safe by being pragmatic they will play into Leinster’s hands. Leinster’s defence only concedes on average 15 points and if you try and play tight their international pack with RG Snyman means it’s very tough.
“You have to move them around and get lucky. Home form is very favourable in the knockout stage and when you look at the English clubs playing away then Leicester’s trip to Glasgow is the one with a small chance depending on which Warriors team turns up.
“For Leicester it is a case of will the team that nilled Northampton be there or the one that lost to Saracens? If Leicester turn up all guns blazing then they have a chance.”
Chris Robshaw is part of the Premier Sports team bringing every game live from the knockout stage of the Investec Champions Cup with 12 big games across the EPCR weekend.
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