The England squad gathered in Leeds yesterday for a fortnight’s preparation for the Australia game at Twickenham on Saturday week, followed by Argentina and New Zealand.
Tom Wood is incumbent captain after leading England in Argentina when Robshaw was rested.
“I’ve always said you must select on form and fitness first,†said Lancaster.
“Equally there’s no need to announce a captain early when it might influence what you are thinking selection-wise. If you name the captain early, you are pretty much ruling out everybody else playing in that position.â€
Robshaw plays openside for England but does not fit the description of the fetcher-style “on-baller†most coaches crave as a means of both capturing and killing loose ball when the opposition is Wallaby or especially All Black, as it soon will be.
Lancaster does not seem to mind. “I have always been comfortable playing Chris at No7,†he said.
“He has delivered for England on a consistent basis. No one can say in any of the games he has played for England, he didn’t do that.
“He had a tough end to the season with his club being knocked out of the play-offs, then the Wales-England game, and a rest was the right thing for him.
“There were areas of his game we wanted him, and he wanted, to work on – and I am certainly happy with what he is doing.â€
Harlequins captain Chris Robshaw to shine for England
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