Simply put, Olly Robinson is one of the finest back rowers in the Guinness PRO14.
Tricky away trips to Glasgow Warriors and Ulster in the last two have hampered Cardiff Blues’ early-season progress but regardless Robinson has stood out, currently leading the Championship turnover stakes on six, level with Luke Crosbie and Josh Macleod.
After crossing the Severn from Bristol, Robinson was the first winner of the Guinness PRO14 Tackle Machine Award in 2017/18, making 243 tackles with a 94.6% success rate, before leading the Championship last season in terms of turnovers, with an astonishing 26.
Statistics obviously don’t tell the whole story of rugby, but in May Robinson picked up Blues’s Players’ Player of the Season Award and ask any regular supporter – the 28-year-old’s talent is there to see every week.
“Coming over to Cardiff was a breath of fresh air for me, it gave me chance to enjoy my rugby again and let me express myself on the pitch,” commented Robinson, who originally signed on at Arms Park as injury cover in September 2017 before quickly making the move permanent after a standout few months.
“I’m really thankful to Danny Wilson and Matt Sherratt (Blues coaches at the time) who gave me the opportunity to come over here and I’m just really enjoying it so much right now.
“For me that’s what rugby’s about, it’s a short career so you’ve got to try and play as much as you can and try and play with a smile on your face as much as you can.
“I’ve just got back to really enjoying myself, it’s such a good bunch of lads here and when I came over I was playing with the likes of Gethin Jenkins, Ellis Jenkins, it’s really exciting for me to be able to play with people of that calibre.
“But also to play with really good people as well at the same time, enjoying themselves on and off the pitch, which I think is really important, Cardiff Blues have got the right balance.”
What’s clear is that Robinson has thrived at the Blues, taking his game to another level since departing England and falling in love with the welcoming region.
Blues is of course a club with an exceptional history of flankers, Ellis Jenkins and Josh Navidi in the current crop while the likes of Ma’ama Molitika, Martyn Williams, Xavier Rush and Sam Warburton all delivered heroics at Arms Park in the past.
Many will enjoy Robinson’s continuation of back-row excellence at the region, particularly in the turnover area at present, the latest example of which came just a few days ago at Kingspan Stadium as the openside won possession to allow Will Boyde to cross for a try.
“Getting a turnover is a team event really,” added Robinson, son of former Lions, England and Bath star Andy Robinson. “It’s not just the one bloke that gets all the praise, it’s about the tackle and the next man in and being in the right place at the right time.
“It’s a really important part of my game and it’s an opportunity to get the ball back when the opposition have got it.
“Growing up I wouldn’t say it was a strength of mine but it’s an area where I felt I could make an impact in the game, I put a lot of work into it, working with Richard Hodges at Cardiff Blues, talking to Ellis Jenkins.
“It’s a skill and if you practice it enough you’ll get better at it, so for me it was about making sure I improve it and I’ve still got a long way to go.
“I watch games back and always think there’s three or four more turnovers I should have had! They put a big emphasis on it here, everyone in Wales either wants to be a seven or a ten!”
Blues no doubt have high ambitions this season, especially with the lure of the Guinness PRO14 Final in their home city, and having missed out on Champions Cup qualification in 2018/19 will be determined to make up for lost ground.
There are huge positives in the acquisition of Boyde from Scarlets and incoming Welsh World Cup semi-finalists in Hallam Amos and Josh Adams, with Robinson set on creating more silverware-lifting moments at the club.
“Cardiff Blues winning the Challenge Cup in Bilbao a few years ago is probably my favourite memory in rugby, it was just brilliant,” added Robinson, who won the man of the match award as Blues edged Gloucester 31-30.
“It was a good few days afterwards actually, I can’t tell you much about it if I’m honest but certainly a very good few days!
“Being able to play for my Dad at Bristol is another one of my favourite memories, being able to work with him, he’s a world-class coach and that’s a real highlight of my career – that was so special for me.
“Obviously I want to create more memories at Blues now, for me it’s about keeping on trying to get better and I feel like I came into professional rugby fairly late, I went to university before getting in so I’ve got a few more years left!
“We want to go out every week and deliver performances that keep us in games and we feel we’re good enough to get a Final Series spot, then you just don’t know what happens from there.”