Robshaw backed to stake claim for Lions tour
CHRIS Robshaw will signal his recovery from shoulder surgery by playing for Harlequins against Newcastle on March 25.
The former England captain is fast running out of time for the summer Lions tour but he has been backed to stake his claim in the coming weeks by former All Black fly-half Nick Evans, his team-mate at Quins.
Assuming he comes through the match against Newcastle Falcons unscathed, he will have just over three weeks before the Lions’ 37 strong squad is named in London for the ten match – three test tour – by Warren Gatland on April 19.
Evans, whose own season has been disfigured by injuries, does not accept that other back row players have overtaken Robshaw in the battle for a tour place due to his injury enforced absence.
He explained: “I think 100 per cent that Chris has got enough in the bank to make the Lions squad and his form throughout the Autumn internationals was brilliant.
“Purely, from a mental side of things, what Chris has gone through, losing the captaincy after the World Cup and then to come out and play so well in every game says a lot of about him.
“He does a lot of the unseen work for the team and that puts a lot of credit in the bank for him.
“People heal in different ways and he could get back for the last couple of games. I am definitely not writing Chris off and people have done that before and been made to look silly.
“Warren Gatland will look at the balance of his back row and see that Chris can offer the unsung hero sort of work.”