Robshaw to captain England, as Armitage gets the boot
Quins skipper to lead England at Murrayfield on only his second appearance
IT was a case of out with the old and in with the new at Twickenham on Monday as Stuart Lancaster announced that Chris Robshaw would become England's most inexperienced rugby captain for 27 years, and it emerged that Delon Armitage, one of the Red Rose old-guard that performed so miserably at the World Cup, had been expelled from the national set up after being arrested.
Robshaw, who has just a single England cap, earned against Argentina in 2009, will lead England in their Six Nations opener against Scotland at Murrayfield on Saturday.
"Given England have also failed to win in Edinburgh since 2004, Robshaw's captaincy baptism could hardly be more demanding," reports The Guardian. "Not since the winter of 1984, when the uncapped Nigel Melville led England out against Australia at Twickenham, has there been a comparable scenario."
However, the 25-year-old flanker and Harlequins captain, who has been handed the job until Tom Wood is fit, has the trust of Lancaster. "It's a similar situation to myself, to be honest," said the coach. "I guess it's a bit of a risk to put an interim head coach in. But I'm convinced in myself and I'm also convinced in Chris."
Since taking over from Martin Johnson after the debacle of the World Cup, Lancaster has also made it clear that he expects his players to behave and on the day he unveiled his new skipper he also took action against full-back Delon Armitage.
The player had already lost his place in the Six Nations squad and has now been suspended from the second-string Saxons after being arrested on suspicion of assault at a nightclub in Torquay. "The profile and dynamics of professional rugby union have changed dramatically over the last five years and more importantly over the last six months," said Lancaster.
"On the day that he was hoping the announcement of Chris Robshaw as England captain would provide a good news story, for Stuart Lancaster it was a sobering reminder of how quickly things can go wrong," said The Times. ·
