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England captain Chris Robshaw speaks exclusively to Sky Sports ahead of the Autumn Internationals

Ahead of a gruelling Autumn International series England captain Chris Robshaw caught up with Ben Hampshire to discuss coffee, conquering the All Blacks and continuing to build 'Fortress Twickenham'...

Chris Robshaw an Ambassador for GUINNESS. See GUINNESS' 'Made of More' campaign by visiting www.youtube.com/GUINNESSEurope.
Image: Chris Robshaw an Ambassador for GUINNESS. See GUINNESS' 'Made of More' campaign by visiting www.youtube.com/GUINNESSEurope.

What is the first topic of conversation that springs to mind as you prepare to sit down with the England captain? Coffee, of course. It’s not every day you speak to a connoisseur and Chris Robshaw certainly falls into that category when it comes to coffee; he knows a bit about wine too, you know.

There are some subjects you never expect to broach with a 17-stone plus 6ft 2in bearded rugby star and the differences between a flat white and latte is one, though, it a discussion point Robshaw is more than open to.

The Harlequins and England flanker, throw fully-qualified barista in there too, runs his own coffee bar - Black White Red - in the heart of Winchester and it is a retreat which offers a great source of refreshment for Robshaw.

“It really has played a part in my life,” he reveals. “I opened a coffee and wine shop about a year ago now and it’s somewhere I like to head down to and have a break from things really. I’ll spend an hour or so on the coffee machine practising, it’s great fun. All players have some sort of release and way to get away from things and for me practising my barista skills is one of those.

“It’s great to have things where you can just totally switch off for half-an-hour or half a day and completely relax.”

Creating clearly-defined boundaries between the intensity of professional sport and relaxation are essential, especially for someone bearing the weight of national leadership and Robshaw often finds solace at his coffee machine as well as on the golf course and walking his dogs.

Need to know

Christopher Denis C. Robshaw
Born: June 4, 1986
Age: 28
Teams: England A, Harlequins, England
Position: Back row
Height: 6 ft 2 in
Weight: 242 lb
Twitter: @ChrisRobshaw

After taking some time to clear his head, Robshaw was able to glean a number of positives and lessons from England’s summer tour of New Zealand, albeit it ended in a 3-0 whitewash in favour of the All Blacks.

More from Autumn Internationals 2014

“It’s always tough when you finish a campaign or a series on a big loss,” he reflects. “We came so close on two occasions, probably closer than any team has come in recent times now, but I think that has given us a huge amount of confidence.

“I think it’s put us in a great position, we believe we can and every time this England camp meets up it seems we’re in a better position than previously and hopefully this autumn will be exactly the same.

“Of course we do have a fair few injuries at the moment, but that allows other people to come in and we’re in a position in England at the moment where we’re extremely grateful that we have a huge amount of strength in depth.

“In every position we have two or three players who could come in at the moment and really excel and that’s what you need if you’re going to be successful as a squad, you need to have that strength in depth and hopefully that will really show this autumn.”

Stuart Lancaster, the England head coach, starts the Autumn International series on Saturday without a host of pivotal players, but Robshaw is the first to acknowledge the nation’s great strength in depth.

Healthy competition

Chris Robshaw
Image: Robshaw insists competition in the England camp is only making the team stronger

Despite being England captain since his second cap, Robshaw himself has been subject to scrutiny when it comes to international selection, but insists the jostling for position is creating a stronger national team.

“It’s a very healthy competition and of course, everybody wants to be in that starting XV so everyone is working and training as hard as possible to get there,” he says.

“But then as soon as we are there the guys are working together to make the England team better, whether it is the props doing front row training, the back row doing their units, the 10s doing kicking together – everyone is working to make each other better and the squad stronger.

“Of course there is always going to be that competition, but also we are all working together to make the team better and that’s the most important element for us.”

All the teams now are going to want to come to Twickenham and put in a good performance there and as a side we have to make it a daunting place, a hostile environment; a fortress which people come to and think, ‘Wow, this is a tough place to play’. We want people coming here thinking the last time they came here they didn’t get the result they wanted. It’s about the players on the pitch and the fans all doing their bit to create those atmospheres. We want to lay down those markers and believe every time we go there we deliver.
Robshaw on Twickenham

While the record books speak of an All Black whitewash in the summer, the reality is England pushed the world champions to the brink, losing 20-15 and 28-27 in the opening two Tests, something Robshaw takes a great deal of heart from.

“I think we do take a great deal of confidence from that,” he adds. It’s the first time we’ve been up there in some time and it’s fantastic that we are moving in the right direction.

“We’ve shown a huge amount of potential and we are improving. It’s about making sure we continue that now and this autumn series is a prime opportunity for us to hopefully put a couple of markers down and really show what we’re about and the intent we want to play with.”

Prior to their remarkable hex being broken by South Africa in The Rugby Championship, New Zealand’s previous defeat came at the hands of England at Twickenham in 2012. England coach Lancaster is a particular for the fine details and under his tutelage not only has the England side undergone a transformation, but Rugby HQ has also seen a raft of changes.

Players are made aware of the heritage of English rugby with the names of those who have gone before in the dressing room as well as quotes from fans lining the tunnel, while every opportunity to paint the stadium white has been seized.

Twickenham is becoming a stronghold, a fortress, hopefully an impenetrable one too.

“Exactly that,” agrees Robshaw. “All the teams now are going to want to come to Twickenham and put in a good performance there and as a side we have to make it a daunting place, a hostile environment; a fortress which people come to and think, ‘Wow, this is a tough place to play’.

“We want people coming here thinking the last time they came here they didn’t get the result they wanted. It’s about the players on the pitch and the fans all doing their bit to create those atmospheres. We want to lay down those markers and believe every time we go there we deliver.

“The crowd are massive. Every time we go out there, they’re the guys who really kind of give you the impetus, as soon as you get off the bus you see this sea of support and there is a real sense of excitement and a real buzz and that just spurs you on. It inspires you to force your way that little bit further over the gain line and when you’re defending it inspires you to get up and make another tackle, it really does encourage you.”

Chris Robshaw is supporting GUINNESS’ ‘Made of More’ campaign which looks at Jonny Wilkinson’s humility, dedication to the game, and relentless resolve to bounce back from a raft of injuries, leading to him being as well-loved in Toulon as he is in England.

Lancaster is rapidly becoming one of the most well-respected minds in the rugby fraternity and Robshaw is quick to take the opportunity to lavish praise on the man who the RFU have displayed great faith in – handing him a six-year extension to his deal as head coach.

“Stuart and the coaches have been absolutely brilliant in instating this culture and this belief in each other about how we want to go out there and play in a way that really supports each other,” he insists.

“They really have been fantastic in doing that and the players have really bought into that, everyone is playing so hard for the shirt and the nation. I think the plans Stuart and the rest of the coaches staff have put in place have been extremely important for the success of this team.

“They’ve been instrumental in bringing some of the younger guys through and really developing them. All the recent success is credit to them and the fact that the players have really bought into what they have brought to the setup.

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“With everyone at home watching and people in the stands, of course, we want to go out and impress them with every opportunity we get. We know we may not win every single game but we always want to give our all and make sure the fans have something to cheer about.”

The former Leeds coach is being heavily tipped to succeed Warren Gatland as coach of the British & Irish Lions for their tour of New Zealand in 2017 and Robshaw admits: “I have a huge amount of backing for Stuart.

“I can only speak of what I have experienced of Stuart and all I can say is what a fantastic coach he is, he has reinvented the way we want to play, he’s created that hunger and desire in all the players to go out there and support each other and perform every time.”

England’s drive to reconnect with history and understand the significance of representing your country led to their new shirt, developed by Canterbury, carrying Victoria Cross emblems on the chest.

How poignant it should be debuted against the All Blacks on remembrance weekend.

“There is so much more about it when you start to think of the players who have worn the shirt before you and more importantly what it represents,” Robshaw states.

“I always count it an immense privilege to wear the shirt and it’s an honour to be one of the few to have this privilege and every time you walk down that tunnel you want to do the shirt proud.”

Believe

Image: Robshaw insists England can learn a great deal from their series defeat to New Zealand

After a clash with the world champions, England host the team ranked second in the world, South Africa, whom they have not claimed victory against in 11 matches.

“We drew with them about three years ago but besides that we haven’t beaten them and that is vital because you do want to have that edge over each other,” he says.

Stuart and the coaches have been absolutely brilliant in instating this culture and this belief in each other about how we want to go out there and play in a way that really supports each other. They really have been fantastic in doing that and the players have really bought into that, everyone is playing so hard for the shirt and the nation. I think the plans Stuart and the rest of the coaches staff have put in place have been extremely important for the success of this team. They’ve been instrumental in bringing some of the younger guys through and really developing them.
Robshaw on Stuart Lancaster

“At the moment it has gone their way, they’re playing extremely well, beating New Zealand which nobody has done in a long time and they are progressing well.

“We need to make sure we believe we can do it and then physically put in the performance to get the result as well. They’re going to want to be coming to Twickenham in a year's time feeling confident and we’re going to have to try and do the opposite to them.”

Defeat to Argentina in The Rugby Championship earlier in the year saw Australia slip out of the top three in the world rankings. England took their place and this will be the final meeting between the nations before they lock horns in a Rugby World Cup pool stage encounter at Twickenham.

Is it important therefore to lay down a marker and send the Wallabies home on a losing note? “Definitely,” Robshaw says defiantly.

“You just want to keep reinforcing it. We’ve been pretty nip-and-tuck with them, they won the year before by a handful of points and we won last year by a similar kind of score. We’ve had some very tight games against them recently, but want to try and reinforce that feeling of defeat on them.”

Robshaw is the most humble of giants and while the prospect of leading your country at a World Cup on home soil undoubtedly triggers unprecedented levels of excitement, the 28-year-old is wholeheartedly focussed on the task in hand.

Following a gruelling autumn calendar, England will aim to end a run a of second-place finishes in the Six Nations in a bid to build momentum for the global showpiece next September.

“The Grand Slam is something all the players are desperate to get their hands on and after this massive autumn series that will definitely be the goal for us,” says Robshaw.

Chris Robshaw an Ambassador for GUINNESS. To view GUINNESS' new 'Made of More' campaign, celebrating the character and integrity of some of rugby's greatest heroes, visit www.youtube.com/GUINNESSEurope.    

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