The Jersey Reds assistant coach has been tasked with leading the national squad’s skills training for the upcoming internationals, having been hand-picked by Jones to fill a last-minute void within the backroom staff.
Robinson says the last two seasons at St Peter have stood him in good stead – although they did not prevent an initial ‘pinch yourself’ moment.
‘That’s only natural, isn’t it?,’ Robinson suggested, when asked if he rubbed his eyes at the sight of England’s elite stood in front of him, having coached on the training field in Jersey just days earlier.
‘I’m sure everyone feels like that at times in your life but I feel at home on the field, so to get on the field with them … it’s great for me.’
Discussing the step up from second-tier rugby to senior international level, Robinson, who celebrated his 28th birthday on Monday, said: ‘You’d be surprised, looking at the Championship, how good those players are.
‘The big thing for me is being myself. In Jersey we’re all about driving the standards of coaching and performance to a level above the Championship, so it has felt pretty normal to me.
‘The players are all great here, we all know how good they are, so I’m challenging myself to challenge them.’
England begin their title defence at home to Scotland on Saturday, with Robinson set to be on the sidelines at Twickenham. He is due to return to Jersey after the tournament has concluded in March.
