England captain Chris Robshaw to make Harlequins return on day of the Rugby World Cup Final

Chris Robshaw will look to put his England agony behind him as he returns to action on Saturday just hours before the World Cup Final.

The England captain was given extra time off by Harlequins after facing intense criticism following the national side’s pool stage exit.

But the flanker is in Quins’ XV for their trip to Bath at the Rec – a game which will finish an hour before New Zealand and Australia kick off at Twickenham.

Quins’ director of rugby Conor O’Shea has backed Robshaw to prove his critics wrong.

“Chris will start this weekend,” said O’Shea. “We gave him a little more time off and I wasn’t going to stick him on the bench. The only way he was going to come back for us was to start.

“Is he still the same Chris? One hundred per cent. He was always going to be under intense scrutiny. But he is an exemplary person and a magnificent rugby player and I expect him to prove to everybody he is still the best back-row forward in the country.”