Robshaw tells Eng to seize chance
England captain Chris Robshaw hopes the memory of a hard road to a place in the test side will inspire a team with a "point to prove" when they face Scotland in their Six Nations opener on Saturday.
Defending champions England go into the Calcutta Cup clash at Murrayfield with a new captain in Robshaw, new coach in acting boss Stuart Lancaster, three players making their test debuts and five uncapped replacements on the seven-strong bench.
Great things have long been predicted for 20-year-old centre Owen Farrell, who will be winning his first cap this weekend.
But fellow Saracens centre Brad Barritt was repeatedly snubbed by former team manager Martin Johnson, despite impressing for the Premiership champions.
Now, though, Barritt has got his chance as England pursue their search for the settled midfield duo that has eluded them for so long.
Many pundits and fellow players were stunned by Harlequins flanker Robshaw's absence from the World Cup squad.
However, it was England's failings both on and off the field in New Zealand that paved the way for the back-row to become his country's most inexperienced skipper since Nigel Melville in 1984, with the openside winning just his second test cap -- more than two years after his first -- at Murrayfield.
And few players have had to wait longer for an international debut than the six years it has taken Northampton No 8 Phil Dowson to win that elusive first cap since initially being called up by England's reserve Saxons side.
"Playing at Murrayfield is never going to be easy but it is something we are looking forward to," Robshaw said on Friday.
"The young guys want to go out there and prove a point. They have been doing it for their clubs for so long and now they want to go out there and show the nation what they can do.
"Being at Harlequins, you get to see Twickenham a lot and you always want to be over there playing in these kind of big games."
England have not won at Murrayfield since 2004 and Scotland have a huge advantage in terms of international experience, with their 1st XV boasting 501 caps compared to the visitors' 236.
"If you go on experience, then of course we will be the underdogs – but we feel we have a side that is picked on form," said Andy Farrell, the England backs coach and father of Owen.
"We have got a lot of young guys in our side but guys who have been playing in massive matches of late. Chris is captain of a side at Harlequins that are right at the top of their game.
"We will be ready for any type of game that Scotland throw at us."