Simon Turnbull: Robinson still in a league of his own

It seemed an age since the man with the Golden Boot had taken aim at the posts in that high-pressure November final against Australia. Yes, after two years and three months of injury and frustration, Andy Farrell was back in the international rugby arena yesterday.

It was a rather different arena from the one he left on the evening of 27 November 2004. Twickenham, packed as it was with its 82,000 rugby unionists, had little idea quite what to expect from the man who led Great Britain in the 2004 Tri-Nations final at Elland Road, the Leeds United football ground. Then, he was watched by 39,120 league devotees who were fully aware of the strengths of the player who had just won the global Golden Boot award to go alongside his domestic Man of Steel trophy.

Not that Farrell was blessed with a Midas touch on that occasion. In contrast to Jonny Wilkinson in Sydney 12 months and five days previously - and again in south-west London yesterday, as it transpired - he was off target with his boot. The great Faz fluffed his one kick at the posts, a conversion attempt, as Great Britain slumped to their heaviest defeat on home soil, 44-4.

It was the Wiganer's last touch of note in international rugby, until 4.05pm yesterday. With a red-rose symbol pressed against his left breast and No 12 on the back of his shirt, Farrell took a pass from Harry Ellis and swiftly slipped the ball back inside to Jason Robinson. It was to be one of few touches, most of them fleeting.

Next to the bloodied, points-laden Wilkinson and the excellent Harry Ellis, the day did belong to a one-time Wigan and Great Britain great. It was not the 31-year-old new boy but the 32-year-old veteran of both codes.

It was in 2001 that Robinson made his bow in a red-rose shirt. For him, though, yesterday was a start of sorts. Two years after removing his dancing boots from the international stage, the balletic Billy Whizz was back at his mesmerising best in an England shirt, quick-stepping through the Scottish defence for his first try and pickpocketing poor Sean Lamont for his second.

"He's just a great finisher," Brian Ashton said. As a former Wigan season-ticket holder, England's new head coach has long appreciated the talents of William Whizz and the Fantastic Faz. His appraisal of the latter's contribution yesterday was a little more restrained. "Given that that was only his eighth start in rugby union, and his first appearance in a rugby union international, I think he equipped himself reasonably well."

It was not until England built up an attacking head of steam in the 10 minutes before half-time that Farrell started to make his 6ft 3in, 16st 11lb presence felt. First came a bullocking charge that took a trio of Scottish defenders to halt. Then, three minutes before the interval, it was Farrell who played the stand-off role in the move that yielded the first try of the Ashton era - providing the link between Ellis and Mike Tindall before Wilkinson, standing at outside centre, shipped the ball onwards for Robinson to score.

It was Wilkinson who grabbed the game by the scruff, with the able assistance of Ellis. Farrell took more passes standing in the first-receiver position than he did from Wilkinson. If there is to be a dream partnership in the style of the All Black first- and second-five-eighth formation it will take longer to materialise than the 78 minutes it was given yesterday, before Wilkinson departed to a hero's ovation.

In truth, Farrell was little more than a nuts and bolts merchant as the England machine cranked its way towards stream-roller mode. There was one piercing cut-out pass to Olly Morgan that very nearly produced a try on the left. Then again, there was the odd moment of hesitation, too - not least when Rob Dewey jinked inside Tindall to score Scotland's late consolation try.

Still, Robinson was given an A game in Wrexham and an introduction from the bench against Italy before he made his first start in the international rugby union arena. Six years on, he still has the Whizz. It remains to be seen whether Faz has the fizz.