Jason Robinson
Rugby League Four Nations 2014
The England Rugby League Squad on why they benefit from wearing Proskins
Update 13th November 2013
England may be out of the Four Nations thanks to Australia beating Samoa on their way to the final with New Zealand this Saturday, but they can take comfort in the fact that they are still growing in the right direction.
click to watch Kieran Foran interview featuring George Burgess online
George Burgess training in his Proskins
click to watch interview with Sam Tomkins online
In the little time left before the World Cup England have got to take a few scalps
Autumn Internationals Week 1: Can England beat New Zealand?
It’s going to be very tough, England have got so many injuries, so many players out for bumps and bruises, so they’re not as strong as I’d like them to be.
New Zealand. in contrast, are looking very good they’ve got some fantastic players like Dan Carter, Sonny B Williams and fantastic talent in Julian Savea on the wing, who’s scored so many tries. It’s a massive test for the English back line.
Injuries of course give other players an opportunity. One of those players being the Bath winger Semesa Rokoduguni whose likely to make his test debut for England this weekend. His club form has been excellent, he’s good with the ball in the hand and England need a bit more firepower behind the pack, and with him they’ll certainly get that, it’s just whether he can raise his performance levels. Time will tell, but hopefully we can have a future star for England.
Where can England improve?
I think when you’re playing against New Zealand all areas of got to be right. The set piece, making sure when it comes to the line-out and scrums you’ve got to get good quality ball to work from.
You’ve also got to make sure you play in the right areas of the field so your kicking game has got to be spot on. If you kick poorly this New Zealand team have got some fantastic players to bring the ball back and punish any mistakes.
In the last summer test England were all over the place. They need to be much more solid, work as a unit, and not allow themselves to get pulled out of position.
Sam Burgess switches to rugby union – no matter what team he plays for he’ll add something to it
What will he find are the major differences between rugby league and union? Any pitfalls to look out for?
It’ll be a big test for Sam, physically he’s certainly up to it and thats what he’s made his name for. Coming into rugby union now his main challenges are learning the basics, and really, the technical side of the game.
I think the fact that he got the cheek bone injury, keeping him out for six weeks or so, could be a blessing in disguise because that’ll give him a bit of time to rest his body and get into into some light training work with the coaches and just go over basic things like placing the ball in contact, knowing what to do, making sure he’s not offside at the breakdowns etc. That’s stuff he wont be used to having only played rugby league.
Where will he play?
Lots of people are wondering where he’s going to play whether that be in the back row, the centre or the wing. For me he’s got to play In the centre. I don’t think he’s fast enough for the wing and think he’d be wasted there anyway being the size he is. Also, if you put him into the back row it’s very technical in the line-out and scrum and I think that could block his mind up too much.
What could he potentially bring to an England team?
No matter what team Sam plays in he’ll always add something to it. He’s physically tough, mentally strong and has a great work ethic. Also, despite his age he’s got a lot of experience and knows how to play in the big games. When you’ve got guys like him in your team it makes everyone around more confidence.
Could he make the 2015 world cup squad?
It’s not a long time, he’s got a lot of rugby to play, a lot of things to learn. But I think he has the ability to cope with that. Sam’s at the right club and they’ll help him with the transition. He’ll know that first off he’s got to break into the Bath team but at the back of his mind will be that World Cup in just under eleven months time. And whilst it doesn’t give you a huge amount of time it certainly can be done. You can make an impact, and I do think Sam will make an impact.
England rugby league down under
England v New Zealand Rugby League Four Nations
It’s a massive game for England rugby league. They came through the first game against Samoa and were unfortunate last week against Australia. In the first half they were really strong and took the game to them. In the second half it looked like England were trying to hold onto the lead which isn’t always a good thing when you play against such a good side.
England will be very disappointed with the decision to disallow what appeared to be a try in the dying moments of the game. Had that been given then they’d have won the game.
And so it all comes down to this game against New Zealand. England need to win by 10 points to guarantee a place in the final. It’s a big ask because New Zealand have played very well so far in the tournament. Still, the English players can take heart from knowing they should have beaten Australia and they’ve got to go out and play on the front foot. The forwards have to set the platform, if they do that the likes of Matty Smith at half back can dictate the game and the wingers Josh Charnley and Ryan Hall can cause problems.
Jason Robinson Super League Grand Final Interview
How do you see the game going?
There’s a fierce rivalry between Wigan and St Helens. I’ve been lucky enough to play in some of these games and you quickly realise what it means to the fans to win these matches.
They’re both top sides, St Helens finished as league leaders and Wigan ended the season really strongly. It’s going to be very interesting because not only have you got a Grand Final it’s a local derby as well.
If you look at St Helens they’ve had a fantastic season under Nathan Brown despite having a few key injuries to some of their playmakers.
Wigan had a fantastic win last week against Warrington that could have been a Grand Final in itself.
In terms of the game I think St Helens know, because of some of the injuries they’ve got, that everybody needs to be at 100%. If they’re not it’s going to be a difficult day for them because Wigan have some real experience across the board and some real good finishers.
Whilst form and the bookies will have Wigan as favourites I know that in the games I’ve played against St Helens sometimes the form book goes out the window, because there is something between these two teams that goes deeper than form.
Can you give us an Insight into how the players will be feeling leading up to the final?
These are the games you want to play in, the biggest stages, with the biggest prizes.
St Helens v Wigan over the years it’s just been such a big fierce rivalry.
All week the players will have friends, family and fans talking the game up. You cant help but realise that this is the Grand Final and it’s a local derby.
But the players can’t get caught up with it. Their focus has to be on the process, what they need to do to win the game. It’s all about doing the basic things right, when opportunities come you’ve got to make the most of them and turn those opportunities into points.
In the buildup it’s important to keep calm and focused because this is where you can lose a lot of strength through nervous energy. It’s a big stage and everyone want’s to play well but in the end it’s all about the result. Getting into Grand Final’s is not about finishing second.
What will be the message from the coaches before the teams step out onto the field?
I’m sure the’ll be lots of motivational things said, talks about all the work they’ve put in this season, you do it for your family, for your friends, for the other guys in that team. But I think some of the key messages are quite often the simple ones. It’s about staying focused. It’s about making sure you do your job, going out there, and playing. You cant come out and be conservative. You need to be smart because this is a winner takes all situation.
In these games it’s also really important not to panic if you fall behind early on or you’re losing at half time. The best teams I’ve played with all had an inner belief and the ability to cooly assess the game and anything that was going wrong.
It’s about keeping that confidence and belief right throughout the match. Quite often some teams, when they’re behind, think they’ve got to come up with some miracle play to get back in the match and then end up giving away even more points.
Both these teams know they can beat each other on the day. They’ve just got to make sure they make it their day.
Rugby League Challenge Cup FINAL - Saturday 23rd August 2014
Castleford Tigers v Leeds Rhinos
This Saturday Wembley plays host to the final of the Rugby League Challenge Cup and we at Proskins have asked Rugby Legend Jason Robinson his thoughts leading up to the match
Who do you expect to win the game? and why?
It’s almost a Yorkshire derby played in London. I think the favourites are Leeds, they’ve had so much success over the years and have a very experienced set of players. But that’s not to say they will win because Castleford have surprised everyone this season, their form has been fantastic under Daryl Powell. They had a good win against Wigan in the semi final so confidence will be very high.
Where do you think the game will be won and lost?
When it comes to the big games it’s about making sure you do the basics well, making sure your defence is right, and capitalising on the oppositions mistakes. Sometimes the tendency is if you’ve not had got that experience is to try something you wouldn’t normally.
The great thing about sport is that it’s an on the day thing, whilst we have favourites its’s all about who turn up and plays well. The game is over in a blink of an eye and you need to make sure you hit it hard and maintain that tempo right until the last minute.
How did you deal with the pressure of big match situations?
Most of the players, from both teams, will have memories of travelling down to London, as young lads, and watching other players do their thing over the years. It was a childhood dream of mine to play at Wembley, and there’s no doubt about it, when you’re a player you want to test yourself against the best, on the biggest stage.
The more experience you gain the more you understand and know what to expect. You’re able to keep a calmer head during crucial phases of the game, and sometimes, that can make a difference when you’re under pressure in the first five minutes or the last five minutes. The flip side of that is that if you’ve never been to Wembley before you’re bouncing out of your skin, so excited, ready to run over every blade of grass.
Emotions can also play a massive part on the day. If you’ve never experienced walking out in a final at Wembley, in front of 90,000 people, knowing that your family, friends, parents are all travelling down to watch you, it can be a big thing. Everybody will deal with it in different ways, you have some guys who like to be quiet before the game, you’ll have others who like to listen to loud music. You’ve just got to make sure that as a player when it comes to the game you do your job, forget the crowd, and be totally focused for 80 minutes.- Jason Robinson August 2014
RBS 6 Nations 2014
15th March England v Italy at the Stadio Olimpico
click to read the full article in the London Evening Standard online
9th March England v Wales at Twickenham
click to read the full article in the London Evening Standard online
22nd February England v Ireland at Twickenham
click to read the full article in the London Evening Standard online
1st February England v France at the Stade de France
click to read the full article in the London Evening Standard online
8th November 2013
On the Rugby League World Cup
The USA have had a fantastic tournament so far. What’s quite remarkable is that this is the first world cup that they’ve entered and already they’ve qualified for the quarter finals which is a massive achievement. Rugby league is looking to expand and the fact that the USA have done so well will certainly go a long way to helping this.
Looking ahead to the England v Fiji match. This’ll be a very tough game for England. Tough in a number of ways. Firstly, Fiji have been playing well, they’re a very exciting team with lots of skilful fast players. Secondly, it’s a different style of rugby that England wont be used to. I played against them in the RLWC 1995 and they were certainly a real handful then. They love their rugby.
From an England point of view its a game they need to win but they should be confident having won last weekend against Ireland. It’s going to be a good test for England. Heres hoping they can do well.
On the 10th Anniversary of England winning the Rugby Union World Cup
Last week I was in London to watch the England v Australia match at Twickenham and to celebrate the 10 year anniversary of the 2003 rugby world cup final victory. On Thursday night I played in a charity game which saw numerous players from that final playing against each other with the proceeds going to charity. Obviously a few boys might have let themselves go a little bit, but it was quite a competitive game, played in good spirits.
I managed to score a try myself, but the try of the night came from an unlikely source, number 2 Steve Thompson, England ex hooker going 80 metres to score live on Sky Sports. I think he might have walked the last 20 metres, but he certainly did well, probably his best ever try in rugby.
On Friday we had a reunion dinner where all the players from the 2003 world cup came together. Sometimes you don’t realise just what you’ve been part of. To meet up with the guys for the first time in ten years was certainly a great thing and I really enjoyed the evening.
The following day was the England v Australia game, the first test of the autumn series. A lot was expected from both sides. Unfortunately in the first half the game was quite flat with lots of errors. It picked up in the second half with some nice skills on show and a well worked try from Owen Farrell. It’s always hard at the start of an autumn series when you haven’t played together, making sure everyone knows their role, getting the pattern of play set and the defensive systems right.
Still England will have to step it up a gear and perform much better this weekend against Argentina who’ll be very physical, will love playing Twickenham and will genuinely believe they can beat England.
All in all an exciting weekend of rugby to look forward to.
Jason
1st November 2013
Rugby League World Cup
Thoughts on Start of the Tournament
The opening ceremony went really well unfortunately England didn’t get the result they were looking for in the end. They’d had a very difficult week leading up to the game and were under a lot pressure especially after the previous weeks game against Italy. Credit to the team, they did bounce back and played very well, but Australia are a class outfit and they came back strongly to win by 8 points.
Since then theres been some great performances from other teams Scotland won, Fiji, New Zealand and Samoa have all been good. There’s been some top games and some big crowds. England v Ireland at Huddersfield is sold out so the tournament organisers will be happy with the support being shown.
England are favourites to win this weekend.
I’m sure it’ll be a tough game with the Irish players looking to get stuck into England early on and hopefully disrupt them. Guys like Pat Richards, who plays for Wigan could certainly be a threat. But I do think England should come out comfortable winners in the end looking at the strength of their squad.
