Jason Robinson was always capable of pulling a rabbit from a hat.
Whenever he got the ball, anticipation rose in an instant. You expected the unexpected. He never played in a straitjacket, becoming a union star at either wing or full-back in the team that won the 2003 World Cup under Sir Clive Woodward after his move from rugby league.
The attacking spontaneity with which Robinson, now 51, was renowned for has been sadly lacking in England’s 2026 Six Nations. After back-to-back losses to Scotland and Ireland were followed by an historic first defeat by Italy, Steve Borthwick’s men are, undoubtedly, in crisis.
Robinson labelled the campaign ‘disastrous’ and urged his former team-mate and England head coach Borthwick to adopt a more attacking game plan to resurrect his tenure after the wheels came falling off the chariot in spectacular fashion following a 12-match winning run.
‘It’s probably no surprise I’m not a fan of England’s game plan,’ Robinson told Daily Mail Sport. ‘They’ve had results and went on a really good run, but if you look at the best sides in the world – and you go straight to South Africa – theirs is an all-round game.
‘I’m not for one minute saying you’ve got to throw the ball around all the time, because that doesn’t work either. But you’ve got to have something else there. France, Scotland and Italy are showing that. England at the moment are lacking a lot of confidence. If our kick game isn’t working, then what do we do?
Robinson scores England’s only try in the 2003 World Cup final, having burst past the Australia defence after a flowing attacking move
England’s players look shellshocked after suffering a first-ever loss to Italy on Saturday
| 1. Rory Underwood (1984-96) | 49 tries in 85 caps |
| 2. Jonny May (2013-23) | 36 in 78 |
| 3. Will Greenwood (1997-2004) | 31 in 55 |
| = Ben Cohen (2000-06) | 31 in 57 |
| 5. Jeremy Guscott (1989-99) | 30 in 65 |
| 6. JASON ROBINSON (2001-07) | 28 in 51 |
| 7. Dan Luger (1998-2003) | 24 in 38 |
| 8. Anthony Watson (2014-23) | 23 in 56 |
‘Unfortunately, we haven’t got a lot of ideas which seems very, very strange.
‘If I was in there as a player, I’d be furious at performances, but I’d still play my own game. France have got attacking options across the board. When I watch Thomas Ramos and Louis Bielle-Biarrey, what they’re doing is what rugby is all about for me. England have got a toolbox, but with only a hammer and a spanner in it.
‘France have got all sorts – saws and screwdrivers. England just don’t have enough ways to win a game.’
Like the rest of the English rugby public, Robinson has been left bemused by the sudden flip in the team’s fortunes. Any side can lose a match. But Borthwick and his men have gone from heroes to zeros in just a matter of weeks.
England entered this championship hopeful that France in Paris this Saturday could be a Grand Slam clincher, but instead are looking to avoid a fourth successive loss that would mean their worst ever performance in the Six Nations.
Borthwick has received the backing of the RFU and won’t be sacked before the summer’s Nations Championship campaign, but Robinson is quite clear that something needs to change – with a frustration and anger that echoes that of fans across the country.
‘I’m shellshocked. I’ve been trying to get my head around it all. Everybody’s baffled at what’s going on and unfortunately, it’s not just one thing,’ Robinson, speaking on behalf of BetSelect, added. ‘The problems are across the board. You wouldn’t expect it to fall off in the way it has and you can’t expect to win titles when everybody is under-delivering. Defensively, we’ve been all over the shop.
‘I was shocked at the start of the Six Nations when Steve was talking about a final against France. I don’t know if somebody’s had a word in his ear or not, but that’s not Steve. It was out of character. It’s been disastrous. We seem to be going b****y backwards.’
‘I was shocked at the start of the Six Nations when Steve was talking about a final against France. I don’t know if somebody’s had a word in his ear or not, but that’s not Steve’
‘The problems are across the board. You wouldn’t expect it to fall off in the way it has and you can’t expect to win titles when everybody is under-delivering’
In the wake of the Italy reversal, England’s leading players expressed support for Borthwick and his approach. But the proof of the pudding is in the eating and the team is not only not winning, but also performing nowhere near its potential.
‘We can’t just rely on set-piece and the things English teams historically do well,’ said Robinson. ‘There were so many changes for the last game and when you make changes like that, they’ve got to deliver.
‘There were certain times in the Italy game where I was thinking: “Why are we doing this?” There was a lack of urgency and game understanding of what to do. I had an awful feeling all game.
‘It’s wrong to take anything away from Italy because they were fantastic. But if you compare them with England, they shouldn’t really be in the same breath because of the difference in player pool and resources.’
Borthwick’s team paid the price for poor starts against both Scotland and Ireland and he made nine personnel changes for Italy as a result. It didn’t work.
Among the many concerns for England has been the team’s failure to turn pressure into points. Poor discipline and basic errors have also riddled their campaign.
France might have been surprisingly beaten by Scotland as their own Grand Slam hopes went up in smoke, but they remain a fearsome team and must win on Saturday to retain their title.
‘It’s amazing, because three weeks ago there was no chance we’d be having this conversation,’ Robinson said. ‘The best players don’t keep making the same mistakes and don’t lose three in a row. They’ve got to take it on the chin.
‘France have got attacking options across the board. When I watch Thomas Ramos and Louis Bielle-Biarrey (pictured), what they’re doing is what rugby is all about for me’
Poor discipline and basic errors have also riddled England’s campaign, with both Maro Itoje (left) and Sam Underhill (centre) sin-binned late on in Rome
‘But the dynamic is not right. Is it the game plan? Are they being restricted in how they’re playing? Are some of the players having their wings clipped?
‘The way England play is completely different to how teams like Northampton play. The reality is it’s international rugby and all of us can keep on talking, but the players have to deliver.
‘The RFU have come out and given their backing for the team. They would have to say that during the Six Nations. But no matter what happens in France, they will definitely be looking back on this to see what changes do need to be made.’
