Chris Robshaw desperate for Six Nations silverware
ByPA Sport
Updated 27/02/2015 at 08:29 GMT
Chris Robshaw has revealed the painful aftermath of last year's RBS 6 Nations title misery is fuelling England's quest to lift the first piece of silverware of Stuart Lancaster's reign.
Chris Robshaw is hoping his England side can go one better than 2014 and lift the Six Nations title
Image credit: PA Sport
Having dispatched Italy 52-11 in Rome, the squad relocated to the post-match dinner near Vatican City to await the outcome of the 2014 tournament which hinged on Ireland's visit to Paris.
Eighty tortuous minutes later, during which France had been cheered to the rafters in a cavernous function room, the Irish were crowned champions by virtue of a points difference of just 11.
Seven tries had been amassed at the Stadio Olimpico, yet it was still not enough to give Robshaw's devastated England the first taste of glory they still crave.
"The worst bit about last year was probably seeing something like that happen and being photographed at the time and then the next day seeing the two extremes in the way the camps reacted across every paper," Robshaw said.
"It was tough to take. We wanted France to win which would have made us win. It's never nice when it's out of your hands. You want to control it and be able to influence it.
"When you're sat there hundreds of miles apart you're pretty helpless. We all had a beer together after and said 'we've got to continue learning from this'.
"We are getting better but it's one thing getting better, you've got to be picking up that silverware.
"Silverware matters to everyone. As a player you want to be judged on what you've won. It's all well and good picking up caps and playing x amount of times for your country, which is incredible, but you want to win stuff.
"You want to win stuff for your country and be top of the pile come the end. No matter what it is, no matter what competition you're playing, you always want to be seen as successful."
Dublin hosts a seismic clash between the Six Nations' only two remaining unbeaten teams with Sunday's victors expected to go on and claim the title six months before the World Cup opens on home soil.
"Both sides know what this game means. We are fully aware that if you come out on top you put yourself in a very good position. So that's exactly what we've got to do," Robshaw said.
"I don't think guys need much motivation for this game. It's going to be built up, it's going to be exciting. Two great teams going at it.
"It's going to be nervy, it's going to be tense, there are going to be times when we can barely hear the guy two metres away because the crowd is so noisy.
"We've had some good results but Ireland have also got a lot of momentum going into this game. It's set up to be an extremely exciting one."
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