Wallabies scrum linchpin Benn Robinson has taken the first positive steps back from a serious knee injury and set his sights on making a Rugby World Cup at his third attempt.
A torn anterior cruciate ligament forced the Waratahs front rower out of the recent World Cup.
Widely recognised as Australia’s scrum cornerstone, Robinson didn’t get selected for the 2007 World Cup.
“My biggest goal is to make a World Cup, that’s definitely my goal at the moment,” Robinson said on Tuesday.
“I’ve still got plenty of years in rugby left in me, I’m only 27 now.”
Halfway through his six-month rehabilitation period, Robinson said he pulled up really well following his first 50m run on Monday.
“The physios and the doctor expected me to have a bit of swelling from the knee,” Robinson said.
“But no swelling straight after the run and no swelling this morning, which is a really positive sign.”
Robinson plans to be back by the start of the 2012 Super Rugby season and believes a full pre-season will put him in good shape, as he looks for the silver lining to the disappointment of missing the World Cup.
“Every time the boys ran out it was a tough moment for me,” Robinson said.
“When the boys lost, you still go through plenty of heartache.
“It was a new challenge for me to try and realise I wasn’t out there playing and on the sidelines trying to get my leg right.
“I suppose I tried to take the positive out of being injured, I’ve got a chance to have a really strong pre-season, I haven’t had one for seven years.
“You definitely pick up a few niggly injuries playing back-to-back Test matches and Super games.
“So I’m seeing these next couple of months as an opportunity to get my body in really good shape and come round one for the Waratahs to be out there fit and ready to rock and roll.”
Robinson believed the Wallabies scrummaged inconsistently during their World Cup campaign.
“I think the boys will be definitely disappointed,” Robinson said.
“There was times there when the scrum was really good and it seemed to flow really well and the engagement was good and nice clean ball.
“There were other times when it was inconsistent and the boys got pushed around.”
Dc
Guest
I agree with the sentiment ...who really cares about the world cup anymore! The best rugby tests are tri nations clashes, the odd six nations contest, ..and now argentina in the mix, plus end of year tours, .. With a heavy schedule of internationals played these days I hope the RWC tourney gets down graded in importance and I think it will happen ..though England will put in a fine show ... But I guess I can say all of this now that my team is world champs !
Mike
Guest
Ack, sorry! I should have asked what you meant. Yes, that sort of phasing out I very much agree. And I also agree with your point about Samo. And yes Vaea seems to have a lot of potential as a replacement, possibly also Wykes or Mowen - I think those two are a bit small for lock at test level, but could make great backrowers.
Justin
Guest
Harry I have no doubt if we can manage those results it will be infinately better for the game here than winning the RWC in England in 4yrs - a WC that most young kids wont even see due to the time difference.
jameswm
Guest
Hang on Mike. Have a think about what "phasing out" means. It does not mean replacing all 3 right now with younger, untried guys. It means bringing through the young guys in an appropriate manner, and specifically NOT dropping them all at the same time. With the lesser intensity of the last 2-3 years, I think Vickerman, for example, has at least 2 good years left in him. Samo - pick him while he's going strong (he seems ageless), but annoint a short-medium term younger successor (eg Vaea as I can't think of another), and give him some games too, initially off the bench and see how he goes. Be smart about bringing the young guys in, but not at the risk of it losing us games, and not altogether. Tight head wise, there's Slipper, Kepu and Palmer (who I think is injured), all of whom are promising. I'm hoping at least 2 of them have big S15s next year, and carry the form on to the tests.
allblackfan
Guest
Agree with you on mojo, Mike. I always thought AAC was very lucky to have made the RWC. He had no form on the board this year and should never have made it. Other players I thought were lucky to make it were Elsom, Samo and McCabe.
Mike
Guest
Harry, I have heard and seen very few people make those statements. It almost always comes up in something like this, "I am sick of hearing about building for the World Cup". But the alleged original statement is nowhere to be found. Ironically, lately it seems to be the very people who want to focus on 2012 who are advocating getting rid of established players. I am still scratching my head over that one. Focussing on 2012 should be the driver to KEEP established players for as long as they can continue to meet the standard. And then there are people who don't want to build for the world cup, yet think we shouldn't have anyone in the team who won't be there for the 2013 lions tour! How is one positon any different to the other? My view is that you play each test to win it, and do your development at the same time. And for that very reason, I think the idea of turfing out players who meets true international standard is madness. NZ had the right idea, playing Brad Thorn in the last tournament, even though he was 35 or whatever. Judge each case on its merits - if they have plainly lost their mojo like Rocky Elsom or John Smit (sorry for twisting the knife there, saffa friends), then get rid of them. But players like Vickerman and Sharpe should stay as long as they are on top of their game, unless there is a young player who is clearly superior at test level. That ain't Simmons and it ain't Timani either (although one day they might be).
Harry
Guest
Strongly agree with this sentiment - please, can everyone make it a rule now NOT to use the phrases "building for the world cup" "world cups all that matters" "it'll be right at the world cup" "(The latest loss) doesn't matter in the context of the primary goal of building for the next world cup" etc etc. Personally I would rather us win the Bledisloe Cup back and keep it for the next 4 years, do another grand slam tour, and win at least a couple of 4 nations (or whatever its now called) than win the the next RWC after being ordinary for the next 4 years. Good luck Benn Robinson for your comeback.
Big Steve
Guest
Sharpe will be interesting next year. I thought the ARU didnt offer him a contract and he is only playing under his Force contract. This leads me to believe that there are no plans to play him next year. The amount of game time he had in the WC would also reinforce this. Our props still seem to be 2 years away from bieng top class, hopefully some of them reach their potential. The waratahs will need Robinson next year.
Mike
Guest
I agree entirely that our focus should be 2012 not the next RWC, but for that very reason we should be keeping Vickerman and Sharpe for as long as we can. Phasing those two out would make as much sense as the All Blacks phasing out those old codgers McCaw, Thorn and Woodcock prior to this last Rugby World Cup. Oh how I wish they had done so...! And who would we phase them out for? Who on earth would be so utterly hare-brained as to drop Sharpe or Vickerman for Simmons? Or for the untried Timani, worthy prospect though he may be? Madness. Simmons Timani and others will get their chance, but be thankful we have an experienced, capable and proven second row to enter 2012. Sharpe may well retire at the end of 2012 and Vickerman at the end of 2013. They will miss the occasional game, which will give plenty of opportunty to bring in new blood slowly, the way the All Blacks do it. And unfortunately I think Robinson is the linchpin of our scrum, simply because our tighthead stocks are so poor. I do wish they had taken Palmer on this end of season tour. But perhaps Slipper or Ma'afu will prove me wrong. I devoutly hope so, although their past performance doesn't fill me with optimism.
jameswm
Guest
How can a loose head be our scrum linchpin? I still don't like the focus on the next WC. We need to focus on being the best side in the world in 2012. Period. We don't need to focus on bringing young players through, because Slipper, the Fainga'as, Timani, Simmons, Higgers, Genia, Cooper, Beale, Horne, Tapuai, O'Connor etc are plenty young enough. The Sharpes, Vickermans and Samos can be phased out. The squad is the right age. Most have had a bit of experience now. Time to start performing.
Mike
Guest
One of Australia's top players. We need this man back, badly! Cloning him a few times might not be a bad idea either, especially if one of the clones can learn to play tighthead at the same standard the original plays loose.