Robinson joins union elite

13 April 2012

Jason Robinson is likely to be fast-tracked into England's elite with such urgency that he could arrive even before his debut as a full-time member of the Union.

The rugby league superstar crosses the Rubicon from Wigan for today's public unveiling at Sale. And England are being urged to intensify his crash-course in the complexities of the bigger game by granting him an immediate introduction to their likely lads for the next World Cup.

The significance of his move extends far beyond a five-year contract worth almost £1million.

Given England manager Clive Woodward's readiness to promote outstanding young players at the earliest opportunity, Robinson can expect an early summons to join the development squad at their weekly Monday training sessions.

Robinson, switching codes after seven years of winning everything there is to win in league, faces a lengthy learning process before being fully equipped to make the same impact in union. A place in the World Cup Sevens in Argentina in January will surely form part of that education.

A celebrated opponent who switched from union to league and back again is urging England to start the education process by granting the new boy immediate access to their squad. Jonathan Davies said: 'If I were Clive Woodward, I would add him to the England squad immediately so that he trains with the best players and works with the best coaches.

'Jason is an amazing player. Maybe he isn't as quick as New Zealand's Christian Cullen but he has this great ability to change direction at maximum pace. He's so agile that he can turn through 90 degrees in a flash.

'He's like a rubber ball. Just when you think you've got him, he shoots off in a different direction. That bouncing-ball effect makes it very hard for would-be tacklers to line up a shot at him.

'What he brings to the game, more than anything else, is an ability to provide something different, something unexpected.

'Ability-wise, he's up there with the best wings in rugby union. As a broken-field runner, he's better than them all, including Austin Healey.

'But I cannot emphasise enough the fact that league and union are two very different games.

'I have no doubt he has the ability to play for England and the Lions but understanding the complexities of union will be difficult.

'He won't get the ball nearly as often as he did in league and defences will be organised to stop him.

'If I was Sale, I'd give him a free role, involve him as much as possible as the openside wing and work on his weaknesses.'

As Cardiff's stand off in his last season, Davies exploited one of those weaknesses when Bath played Robinson at full back in a European Cup quarter-final four years ago during the player's three-month loan from Wigan.

'Jason's kicking out of hand that day was extremely poor and we exploited that,' said Davies.

'There are bound to be times, like on a wet day at Leicester with a few up-and-unders coming down on top of him, when he'll think: "What the heck am I doing here?"

'It's just a question of how quickly he adapts to a different game.

'As a tremendous athlete with a terrific attitude and a great work-ethic, he has so much going for him that it would be hard to understand why he could fail.'

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