Robshaw fit to face Pumas

LONDON: Former England captain Chris Robshaw should be fit for the first of the two Test series with Argentina despite an ankle injury restricting his training ahead of their departure, said defence coach Paul Gustard.

The flanker — who has rebounded from the disappointment of being stripped of the captaincy following the humiliating first round exit at the 2015 World Cup — trained apart from the rest of the inexperienced squad on Friday.

However, Gustard said there was nothing too concerning about that and Robshaw, who turns 31 today, will be on the plane on Saturday for the whistlestop tour with the First Test on June 10th and the second a week later.

“Everyone is good,” Gustard said referring to Robshaw, No 8 Nathan Hughes and New Zealand-born former rugby league star Danny Solomona.

“Chris had a sore ankle so missed training on the field but did some different training. The other guys we had concerns about completely trained, so we are happy.”

The Six Nations champions — deprived of a repeat Grand Slam under Eddie Jones with defeat to Ireland in their final game — travel with a squad filled with Test rookies as many of their most experienced players are with the British and Irish Lions in New Zealand.

However, Gustard says there is no reason why some of the players going to Argentina can’t lay out a marker for competing with the established stars when the November Tests come around.

Nevertheless, he is looking to other senior members of the squad for the Pumas series such as Robshaw, fullback Mike Brown, scrum-half Danny Care and fly-half George Ford to help along the rookies.

“I think for everyone it is an opportunity to put another claim on an England shirt,” said Gustard.

“We always say that you borrow the shirt, it is yours for 80 minutes, it is your responsibility to take the team forward on and off the pitch. AFP