Robshaw relishing Murrayfield clash

Chris Robshaw

Published: 6:13pm, 3rd February 2012
Updated: 6:35am, 4th February 2012

Chris Robshaw vowed England's young guns will be undaunted by the history and hostility of Murrayfield as they head into Saturday's Calcutta Cup showdown with "a point to prove".

Robshaw, England's most inexperienced captain since Nigel Melville in 1984, leads a new-look side featuring three debutants with five more uncapped players primed to come off the bench.

"Playing at Murrayfield is never going to be easy but it is something we are looking forward to," said Robshaw, who will be making only his second Test appearance.

He added: "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. To come up here in your first Six Nations appearance is special."

Owen Farrell may have been fast-tracked into the England side but the team includes several players who were repeatedly overlooked by Martin Johnson but are finally getting their chance.

Robshaw's omission from England's World Cup plans baffled some members of the squad while it has taken Phil Dowson, consistently one of the outstanding players in the Aviva Premiership, six years to graduate from the second-string Saxons.

Farrell's centre partner Brad Barritt knew Johnson did not rate him and admitted to being relieved when his England coaching regime collapsed following the World Cup.

Stuart Lancaster was given temporary charge and set about launching a new era for English rugby, which starts at Murrayfield on Saturday.

Form and a desire to play for the jersey were selection prerequisites. David Strettle, Charlie Hodgson and Mike Brown have all had their England careers reignited by the new regime.