Thursday 8 October 2015 15:26, UK
Chris Robshaw should retain the England captaincy, according to his Harlequins coach Conor O'Shea.
The back-row forward will lead the national side out in their final World Cup game on Saturday, the dead rubber against Uruguay at the City of Manchester Stadium.
Robshaw, and head coach Stuart Lancaster, have been strongly criticised for their part in the team's poor World Cup campaign, in which they have made history by becoming the first host nation to be knocked out of the tournament at the group stages.
Lancaster and skipper Robshaw will both then be battling for their futures, but Quins rugby director O'Shea backed his back-rower to hold on to the leadership role with England.
"I would always want him to be my captain," O'Shea said when asked if Robshaw should remain England captain.
"We took the captaincy off him at Quins to help him deal with the pressures and now it's clear what those pressures are.
"I wanted him as mentally fresh as he could be, I wanted him relaxed for what we knew would be the toughest period of his life.
"Did anybody pay any attention to the reasons why I made that decision? No. It's why it was done. What does Chris need to do now? I'm sure there will be loads of scrutiny, opinion, loads of 'change 15 players' blah, blah, blah.
"But he just needs to play well for Quins, he needs to be successful and then everything will look after itself.
"That's what got him to where he was and that's what will keep him where he is. His ambition will do the same for him all over again."
England have become the worst-performing hosts in World Cup history by failing the reach the quarter-finals.
Lancaster's squad will disperse after the weekend's walkover against part-timers Uruguay, and will be available to start the Aviva Premiership season a week later.
O'Shea said Robshaw is unlikely to feature on the opening weekend however, as he comes to terms with England's unmitigated World Cup disaster.
The Harlequins boss revealed he has told Robshaw to stop apologising for England's early exit.
"We're incredibly proud of what those boys have achieved," said O'Shea. "They came up short - but better to be that man than the man hurling abuse at the pitch.
"I talked to him yesterday, and I said 'you've apologised enough, get on with it, be proud of what you've done, and don't listen to people, because you're an incredible leader and an incredible rugby player'.
"He has always been damned with faint praise, he deserves a heck of a lot more than that for what he has achieved and will achieve.
"It takes time in sport for everyone to get on with it, but you do because you have to. You want expectation but if you fall short the emotional reaction is going to be what it is.
"Personally I would love people to be more balanced, for people to understand what these guys have given. People have a duty to be more balanced, rather than just populist."
