Robinson dances to victory

Surely, it had been a culture shock to look round the dressing room and see no Wilko or Johnno there? 'We've got such strength in depth now that it didn't feel any different,' promised Robinson. 'That's what we showed; it's not about any one man but a lot of great players who know there's always someone out there ready to fill their position and do just as good a job.'

Look at Paul Grayson. 'Usually he is understudy to Jonny but we know exactly how good he is and you could see here he's world-class. That's the great thing about the team. Everybody knows the system and if they get a chance then they're going to take it,' said Robinson.

Not just Grayson. Whether it was Andy Gomarsall or Matt Dawson, Simon Shaw or Danny Grewcock, Mark Regan or Steve Thompson, yesterday it was a case of spot the join. The greatest captain and lock in rugby may have gone but with Lawrence Dallaglio taking the reins to lavish plaudits from Sir Clive Woodward, there was no need to grieve.

A coltish lock from Sale, Chris Jones, popped off the bench, looked immediately at home and marked his debut with a thieved try at the death. Robinson smiled at the success of his young clubmate, seemingly enthusing-about it more than his own scores, even though it was a reminder that in this swiftly evolving, mercilessly competitive England set-up, nobody's position is guaranteed. Not even a magician's.

You couldn't feel complacent, he said, when Woodward had such attacking riches at his disposal. Even when dumped in the centre, a position which Robinson clearly believes does not best utilise his prowess, he's hardly likely to argue when the end result is a hat-trick, taking his tally to 19 in just 29 Tests, and Woodward asserting that he's good enough to hold the line against any team in the world.

'Centre wouldn't be my first choice - full-back still is because it's running the ball back that gives me the buzz - but the way Clive wants all the backs to play, to interchange, it's not a conventional back line anyway,' shrugged Robinson.

'I'm not thinking about my future at centre but if Clive wants to pick me there against Scotland, I'll be more than happy to do so.' Actually, Robinson, like the rest of the England boys, would probably be prepared to play anywhere if it meant being part of this new crusade.

Yesterday, he really did seem to play everywhere. No wonder he couldn't help smiling at the cheeky rumour that Woody's next masterstroke would be to fatten him up as a tighthead prop.

Woodward's touch is so assured currently that you'd back him to get away with anything. You can argue with the selections - Joe Worsley still does not merit Neil Back's place and Dawson should regain the scrum-half berth during the course of the championship - but you can't dispute how he's kept the mix so sharp by his willingness once again to dare.

'Though we did win the World Cup, we have to be honest that it wasn't the best we'd ever played,' pondered Robinson. 'We wanted to build on that and this is the right time. It's a great opportunity for some of the new guys who've been picked and, definitely, this was a better performance than those we gave in Australia.'

Uttered quite matter-of-fact, this was fairly chilling. The world champs have already moved on from what they achieved Down Under. Italy had attacked with the sort of thumping gusto that could turn over Scotland here in Rome but ultimately, they were strangled by what the Azzurri coach John Kirwan could only describe as an 'incredibly complete' team versatile enough to turn to four different game plans.

Was there anything that could stop their Six Nations march, he was asked. 'A bazooka?' he wondered.

The defining image in Rome was of Italian fly-half Rima Wakarua reduced to scrambling around helplessly on his knees having attempted vainly to stop Robinson whipping past him with another unfathomable shimmy for the first of his hat-trick of tries. 'It's a cruel game,' conceded Billy Whizz with the faintest grin.

But then he's playing for a cruel bunch too now. It's cruel how they punish the slightest error. It's cruel how they never seem sated. It's cruel how their icons disappear and yet the white tide seems to keep rolling over opponents remorselessly.

Still, Woodward was at last prepared to offer a hint of fallibility to encourage the odd fearful Scot. Under interrogation to reveal whether there was anything the wondrous Robinson couldn't do, he finally conceded: 'Yeah, he's terrible at goalkicking. Ooo, the worst you've ever seen.'

Now that really was too cruel...