Robbo - We need more games

Legend urges England v Rest of the World fixture

Last updated: 19th November 2008   Subscribe to RSS Feed

Robbo - We need more games

Robinson: World Cup winner

England had a warm-up against Wales, which was a total non-event - and then just 10 days to prepare for their opening game. That is no way to build for a World Cup in Australia.

Jason Robinson
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Former Wigan great Jason Robinson reckons a lack of preparation played a key part in England's World Cup flop.

The dual code international is a rugby union World Cup winner and he draws a stark contrast between England's preparations for that tournament in Australia in 2003 and their league counterparts Down Under this year.

He told the Daily Express: "It is all a matter of preparation - when I played for England at rugby union we had the Six Nations, a summer tour and the autumn internationals to mould a side and get used to playing in a pressure environment.

"Mental toughness is as important as physical toughness and England failed in that department."

"Australia have the State of Origin series to help them reach that intensity on top of the ultra-competitive NRL, where most of the New Zealand Test side play.

"England had a warm-up against Wales, which was a total non-event - and then just 10 days to prepare for their opening game. That is no way to build for a World Cup in Australia."

Serious

Robinson went on to urge an expansion of the international fixture list.

"If we are serious about international rugby league, there has to be a way to give England more games in the course of a season before they face an international programme in the autumn," he added.

"Why not make use of the quality overseas players in the Super League and form a Rest of the World side, including the likes of Brent Webb and Steve Menzies, to play England?

"Two weeks need to be taken out of the Super League season for such a game to be fitted in, if we are serious about improving the fortunes of our national side."

"You would have to overcome the inbuilt selfishness of the Super League clubs to do that - but the nettle has to be grasped.

"The best solution would be for England to play Australia or New Zealand on a yearly basis in mid-season to go along with a match against France, who at the moment cannot provide England with the necessary competition."