Conor O’Shea: Chris Robshaw will see off his England pretenders

Chris RobshawFrustrated Quins boss Conor O'Shea has mounted a furious defence of club captain and backed him to see off all challengers by leading into the autumn Tests.
Robshaw was left out of the squad and then rested for England's summer tour of , enabling the likes of Tom Croft, Tom Wood and Matt Kvesic to steal a march on the reluctantly absent flanker.
Speculation has been rife that Wood, who successfully captained England in South America, may assume the armband from Robshaw and that his squad place could also be in jeopardy from the likes of Kvesic and Croft.
But O'Shea has dismissed such suggestions as laughable and, having recently extended Robshaw's contract at Quins, he expects the 27-year-old to react as always – by coming out fighting at the start of the new season.
“I don't know why people are talking about Chris not being in the England team, given what he's done for England and how he's played. It's not like he's been average, he's been outstanding,” O'Shea told The Rugby Paper.
“I don't think the talk bothers him. It would be wrong to say he's not aware of it, but he's England's captain and an England player and, as I've noticed, his reaction will be to step up his game and play even better for .
“You'll always get speculation – God, if there wasn't any or we all agreed on everything, it would be a pretty dull world – but it would be a brave man who bets against Chris because of the way he reacts to challenges.
“He's philosophical about what he's read but when he got left out of England's squad you saw how he reacted. You're going to see something very similar after he was left out of the Lions.”
Robshaw's captaincy of England came under scrutiny during last November's defeats to and , whilst question marks have been raised over his suitability to fulfil the openside role at the highest level.
But O'Shea said: “As a captain, Chris epitomises what you want a person and player to be. He works harder than anyone else, works intensely on any weaknesses and everyone respects him.
“We've got a good leadership group at Harlequins with guys like Nick Easter, George Robson, Nick Evans and , but Chris is the guy who is the focal point and provides the example to the younger guys as well.
“Too many people go down the route of dismissing him as the old, traditional English yeoman who toils at the coalface, but he's far, far, far ahead of that and it's just too easy for people to categorise him in that way.”
O'Shea also rejects the notion that England should employ specialist opensides instead, adding: “Chris Robshaw can play anywhere – six, seven or eight – because everything is about balance in your back row.
“I had a laugh when all the talk about Lions selection was how we had to have a natural seven and that's why Chris wouldn't make the squad. Well, tell me who the natural seven was in the final Test?
“What is a natural seven? I'd like to know. It's about balance and Chris can do whatever he wants, or is asked to do.”
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