Andy Robinson: Jonny's back, but is it too soon?

In his first column for The Independent, the former England coach finds much to excite him in his successor's first selection but has worries about the timing of Wilkinson's return

My initial reaction when I saw the England selection for today's Calcutta Cup match was: "Wow, it's my kind of team."

Two things excited me about it. Firstly, the back division set the pulse racing - when you see attacking runners like Jason Robinson and Josh Lewsey lining up outside Jonny Wilkinson and Andy Farrell, two players armed with immense creative ability, you automatically start thinking that anything is possible.

Secondly, I was struck by the warrior spirit running through the line-up. Wilkinson, Farrell, Mike Tindall, Phil Vickery, Danny Grewcock, Martin Corry - these people are fighters, players who bring some real heart and soul to the mix. I grew up in that tradition; it's where I come from as a rugby man. When I see those names on a team-sheet, I'm happy.

A lot has been said and written about Jonny's sudden return to England colours. Well, there's a surprise. Three years and more after our World Cup victory in Australia, he's still the biggest box-office draw in the European game. Would I have played him this weekend? Probably not, if I'm honest.

I totally understand his selection, because he's a phenomenal professional; when you work with him in training, you quickly realise that in terms of personal preparation he is in a different class. He knows his body and he knows his mind and, believe me, he wouldn't have put himself forward for this match with Scotland if he didn't think he was up to it.

But I see the Six Nations as a series of games and my concern has less to do with this fixture than with the Italy and Ireland matches on the horizon. Jonny will get himself up for this one - the adrenalin will be flooding through him. But can a player with so little competitive rugby in the bank get up a second and a third time, just like that? I wonder. To my mind, we need Jonny firing fully for the trip to Dublin later this month. That is why I would have gone for the step-by-step approach and picked him for last night's A international, not the full international this afternoon.

Still, we are where we are, so let's get on with it. I would love to see Jonny go really well today, partly because I have such respect for him and partly because it would be a striking example of what can be achieved when there is a spirit of co-operation between the England set-up and the Premiership clubs. When I was coach and Rob Andrew was director of rugby at Newcastle, Rob was very protective indeed of his principal asset, and rightly so, especially when Jonny was working his way back from injury. Now, of course, Rob has a very different job: elite rugby director at the Rugby Football Union. Would he have allowed Jonny to be picked for this game had he still been at Kingston Park? Only he can answer that, but it's an interesting question.

Andy Farrell, a genuine man of steel

We talked for years about bringing Andy from rugby league to union and from the moment I first pushed the idea I never had the slightest doubt that, given a clear run, he would make the grade. He'd done everything in league, magnificently - a genuine man of steel. I remember going north with Joe Lydon to meet him and painting him a picture of what he could expect to find in union, the things he could expect to achieve. I was struck immediately by his aura, his presence, and I'm glad to say we hit it off straight away. Being his own man, he made his decision in his own time, and on his own terms. But he came across, and that's all I wanted.

There was a fair bit of fuss back in the autumn about him playing for Saracens in the back row, rather than in midfield. The way I see it, those few weeks spent as a flanker made him learn fast about the nature of the contact area in union, which is the crucial difference between the two codes. The back row wasn't right for him, but it was important that he found things out for himself. Now, he's playing the rugby that suits him, in the position he best understands. What am I looking for from Andy? Decision-making, quality of pass and communication. He's a big talker, even though the union environment is still new to him. If you are watching the game on television, you may well hear him. If you are in the stadium and listening on the RefLink, you definitely will!

So, how do we beat the Scots? Increase the tempo and take the referee out of the equation

Last year, when Scotland beat us at Murrayfield, they defended really well. They were well organised and they slowed up the ball incredibly effectively. This is where the referee comes in. They will be a right handful if they are allowed to mess around on the floor this afternoon, so I will be interested to see how Marius Jonker runs things on his first appearance in the Six Nations.

I don't believe people fully understand how important a role the referee plays in top-level union - far more important than in any other major team sport. It's why we should pay the best officials a lot more money than we pay them at the moment. One poor decision often affects the dynamic of a match for good; as I know to my cost, a wrong call can lead to a shift in pressure and a change in the balance of the contest. We saw it as recently as November, when we were denied a try against the All Blacks. It is all very well people saying "you still should have won, despite the referee", but that is not always the case. Sometimes, a losing team have only themselves to blame. At other times, it really is down to a dodgy decision here or there.

England have the players to keep the ball off the floor in this game, and if they do that they will go a long way towards removing the referee from the equation. I think they will start fast and have the Scots wondering whether they can live with the pace. If they do live with it, the big question will then be asked: can England move up a gear and nail the game down? During the autumn, we failed to do this - instead, we tended to tire in the 10 minutes before half-time. Success at Test level is about increasing the tempo at the crucial moment. England must show themselves capable of doing it today.

If I was a Frenchman, I'd be worried

Here's an interesting prediction for you: Italy will beat the French in Rome this weekend. No, seriously. But for some refereeing of the kind I have already mentioned, the Italians might easily have won three games in last year's tournament and would now be looked upon very differently. Their pack has a tremendous amount of experience and is as good as anything in the Championship and if they go into the game unafraid of France, I can see them doing a job and giving themselves a springboard for the rest of the competition.

I detect a little arrogance in the French approach - they are looking at fresh combinations with one eye on the World Cup and as a result they are vulnerable. Yes, they have won in Rome before, but generally at times when the Italians have suffered a couple of defeats. This is a first-up game, with a completely different feel about it. The Italians have massive pride in their home performance, and if, as I suspect, the French are underestimating the scale of the challenge, they will find themselves on the wrong end of a rude awakening.

Wales to win tomorrow

Ireland are notoriously slow starters in Six Nations rugby - they take longer than most to get up to speed with the pace of the Championship, and for this reason I take Wales to win the Celtic contest in Cardiff tomorrow. But there is more to it, in my view. I'm not sure the Irish absorb injuries too well; they will miss the injured Shane Horgan, that's for sure. Also, I feel they will be doubting themselves as a result of those defeats at Heineken Cup level a couple of weeks ago. Munster losing at Thomond Park to an English team? Leinster going down at Gloucester? They won't admit it, but their confidence has been rocked.

Keep An Eye On... Harry Ellis (England, scrum-half)

I consider Harry to be among the most underrated players in England and I'm delighted to see him back in the shirt today. He is quick-witted, very sharp around the fringes and has an opportunist's eye for the half-chance. So why didn't I pick him in the autumn, you ask? Because he was struggling for fitness and Shaun Perry was playing really well at Bristol. Now Harry is back on song, I'm the first to support his selection. If he gets his pass right and gives Jonny Wilkinson and Andy Farrell that extra split-second, the England back line will prosper.