Robinson should play on wing: Carling

FORMER Grand Slam captain and centre Will Carling believes England are wasting one of their most potent attacking weapons by selecting Jason Robinson at fullback instead of wing.

Despite the fact the league convert scored England’s only try in the 25-17 Six Nations win over France last week, the 72-times-capped Carling contends that Robinson’s considerable gifts are best utilised wider out.

“Robinson is one of world rugby’s great attacking players, yet we have him exiled at fullback and the result is England are only playing to 60% of their attacking potential. To be brutally honest, he is wasted in that role,” said Carling.

“Robinson needs to be back on the wing, where he can read the game, sense the ball coming and time his attack. He is struggling to come to terms with the positioning at fullback, the flow and the timing of his runs into the attacking line. This is because it’s so alien to all his experience in rugby league where he was always standing in the line or on the end of it, as he would be back on the wing.”

Welsh centre Mark Taylor has given deposed national team captain Colin Charvis a vote of confidence ahead of the meeting with England by declaring: “He’ll be back.”

And Taylor blasted some of the media criticism fired at Charvis since last weekend’s abject Welsh performance against RBS Six Nations Championship opponents Italy in Rome. Charvis lost the captaincy as a result of that 30-22 defeat, and his place in the starting lineup, with Wales coach Steve Hansen handing leadership duties to 33-year-old Bath hooker Jonathan Humphreys.

Charvis, initially at least, will watch the Millennium Stadium appointment with England on Saturday from the replacements’ bench.

Taylor though, who is one of seven players drafted in to try and halt Wales’ slide, believes Charvis is by no means finished.

“Steve might have felt in this situation, with such a big game coming up, that it was probably best to give Colin a bit of space,” said Taylor, who will win his 34th cap on Saturday.

“If you asked anyone in the squad, they would quite happily have Charvis as captain again.

“Some of the criticism of Colin has been totally uncalled for. Some of the general criticism in the press has been quite shocking, really.”