Chris Robshaw's emotional goodbye after final home match at The Stoop
Former England skipper Chris Robshaw has bid an emotional live TV farewell to The Stoop, the Harlequins ground where he played his last home match on Monday night for the Gallagher Premiership club before he joins MLS outfit San Diego Legion in 2021.
Back row Robshaw has one final game to play for the London club, away to Leicester on Sunday which will be his 300th appearance for Harlequins. But the curtain fell on his time at The Stoop in dramatic fashion.
Quins were leading 20-8 when hooker Elia Elia was sent off with less than 30 minutes remaining and they were reeled in down the finishing straight by play-off chasing Wasps, losing 23-32 to spoil Robshaw's home send off from the club he has been attached with for over a decade and a half.
Speaking to BT Sport following the game, Robshaw said: "Of course it's emotional, last time out here at The Stoop without the opportunity to share it with the fans and all that. Credit to the guys, we gave it all. It is what it is - it's tough, it's emotional. I'm sure there will be days in the future that I will look back with fond memories.
"It has been emotional. Of course in sport we don't always get the fairy tales we dream about. You are always hopeful. Of course, the world is in a funny place. I'm sad I didn't get to share it today with the fans who have supported me since the age of 17 at this club. But I'm sure in time I will have moment with them in the future. It's emotional for me. You can probably hear it in my voice. Luckily I got a couple of the family in.
"It [Harlequins] has been my home, it is my home. It's hard to put into words what it means, it's all I have ever known and all I have ever wanted to know. I'll lick my wounds and hopefully in a couple of years I will look back with fond memories.
"I have loved my time here. Of course, you always want to win more, you always want to be successful. But for me it's been a hell of a ride. That's sport, that's international sport. You take the good times with the bad times.
"When you play you remember the tough times more than the good times. But as time goes on you remember the good times. There has been some incredible times at this club. I have loved my time here but it goes quickly. In the blink of an eye you're a 17-year-old kid playing out here and then whatever it is, 17 years later, 16 years later, it's all over.
"In your body and your mind you know when the time is right and for me it feels right at the moment. It's looking forward to having another opportunity, looking forward to having another challenge in my life, me and my wife going Stateside and enjoying a little bit of Californian sun, playing a bit of rugby and having a bit of fun. But I have loved my time here. I'd do it all over again in a heartbeat."
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I think we need to get innovative with the new laws.
Now red cards are only 20 minutes, Razor should send Finau on a head hunting mission to hospitalise their 10 with a shoulder to the chops.
Give the conspiracy theorists a win.
England played well enough to win but couldnt score when they needed to and couldnt defend a couple of X-Factor moments from Telea which was ultimately the difference. They needed to hold the ball more and make the AB's make more tackles. Territorially they were good for the first 60. Defending their lead and playing pragmatic rugby in the last 20 was silly. The AB's always had the potential to come back. England still have a long way to go, definite progress would have been shown had they won but it seems they are still stuck where they were shortly after the six nations and their tour to NZ
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