Chris Robshaw has led England with class and dignity. So let him keep doing so Yet we have tended to damn Robshaw with faint praise, any observation of his leadership skills tempered by snide references to the view that he is not an out-and-out openside flanker and that as soon as one comes along he will be returned to the ranks. Well, one has come along in the form of Gloucester's Matt Kvesic, and Robshaw has responded with characteristic grit to cement his claim to the No 7 shirt. Robshaw is often criticised for what he is not rather than admired for what he is. The standard complaint is that he is not a specialist breakaway, without any consideration being given as to what he contributes to the back row as a whole. As for his captaincy persona, he is no beady-eyed Martin Johnson, body language all bristling and warning, deterring the opposition from taking liberties. Nor is he a chest-swelling, street-wise master of patter in the mould of Lawrence Dallaglio. So what precisely is Chris Robshaw? Reliable, hard-working, utterly dependable, unflustered, without side or ego and a team man to the core of his being. These are not showy virtues. This not the CV of an X-Factor contestant, preening and needy. And we are all the better for that. In many ways, Robshaw is the epitome of an Englishman. He gets on with things. And few have got on with things as well as he has done for England. As he projects, so does he play, under the radar but hugely effective. He regularly tops the statistical charts for tackles, carries, clear-outs - all the unglamorous tasks of a top-class back-row forward. He is not without fault. He does need a dab of pace in his game, as per the feedback from England at the end of last season, and his decision-making is not always spot on as the stunned reaction from the Twickenham crowd (not to mention the aghast look from Owen Farrell) indicated when Robshaw pointed to the posts for a penalty shot at goal in the closing stages against South Africa last autumn when a kick to the corner might have yielded a match-winning score. Above all, though, Robshaw has the respect of those within the dressing room, be it club or country. The manner in which they rallied round after the Springbok uproar was testimony to that. They get what he is about and need no persuading of his worth as a captain. Robshaw has come through all sorts of trials and tribulations, in his personal as well as professional life. Dealing with pressure and scrutiny is not to be dismissed lightly. An England captain on home turf in a Rugby World Cup will need to be strong. Robshaw has stood tall. Of course, England would function well if Tom Wood were to be given the job. The Northampton flanker made a good fist of captaincy on the England tour to Argentina in June, with several away with the British and Irish Lions and Robshaw rested. Wood is no-nonsense, down to earth and forthright. He would be a fine captain, and was the preferred candidate of many when Lancaster came on the scene, only for injury to rule him out. Wood, too, would bring many of the same characteristics as Robshaw: unflinching and wholly committed to the cause. But Robshaw is in place. If he is in the team, he must be the captain. To pass over him would be a very public snub. It would also be destabilising, both for the player and potentially his team-mates, although, as we saw on the Lions tour with the Brian O'Driscoll selection saga, players summon survival instincts pretty quickly and plough on regardless. Even so, Robshaw deserves better. England, of course, are keen to demystify the whole captaincy issue. They want a team of leaders and not to be reliant on a lone figurehead. On-field responsibility is devolved through various players: line-out caller, pack leader sorting the scrum, half-backs calling the play, defensive leader marshalling the tackling, not to mention all those messages coming on to the field via those pesky hordes of water-carriers. But one man still needs to embody the whole, to represent the team, to take the praise as well as the flak, and that man should be Robshaw. Not the referee's call Let the scrum-half do the talking. How much longer do we have to put up with referees calling the shots at the put-in to a scrummage? The new engagement rulings are fine. The scrum has a better shape and feel to it. And then all goes to pot as we wait for the ref's instruction. The front rows are jostling and unstable. Let the No 9 do the job. Three giants to celebrate We are only a few days away from the annual gathering of the world's finest players as the November Test window serves up matches across Europe. At the end of it the Player of the Season will be announced. How is this for a podium now? 1) Kieran Read, the All Black No 8; 2) Leigh Halfpenny, Lions and Wales rock; 3) Jean de Villiers, Springboks centre and captain.