Graphic: How England can make the breakthrough against France

Jason Robinson’s Christian faith is part of who he is, but even that must have been sorely tested when he pulled up lame on the darkest night of England’s World Cup campaign — the 36-0 defeat by South Africa 27 days ago. Remarkably, it was not.

Robinson believed that a wonderful sporting journey was not destined to end in injury and he will prove it when he runs out at the Stade de France on Saturday to win his 50th cap.

When the wing says that he has been blessed, he means it. “Saturday will be my 540th match, an average of 36 a season, and that’s quite something,” Robinson, who began his rugby league career at the age of 17, said. He has dedicated the semi-final against France to Amanda, his wife, without whose encouragement he would not have resumed his international career this year, and his family.

“It has not been easy,” he said. “It causes a lot of disruption, the Lord has taken me from one big thing to another. But certain things happen for a reason and for the wish to come from my wife was the main thing.”

Robinson has tried, during long trips away from home, to take his family — he has six children — with him and it was the desire to give them more time that led to his retirement, after the 2005 Lions tour to New Zealand, from international rugby.

The plan was to play a couple more seasons with Sale Sharks, the club he joined when he crossed codes from league to union in 2000, and then retire completely. As he has discovered, though, the Lord moves in mysterious ways. In this case, Robinson responded to an approach by Brian Ashton when his fellow northerner became England head coach. The two had worked together during the brief period in 1996, when, for four months, Robinson left Wigan and played for Bath under Ashton’s coaching, which left both eager for more.

“I watched Jason from the time he started playing,” Ashton, for years a Wigan season ticket-holder, said yesterday. “I used to travel up to Wigan after we moved from Lancashire to the South West. Jason was part of a phenomenal rugby team and he was one of the most exciting people in it.

“I couldn’t believe my luck when I was head coach at Bath and he came to play for us. That was an exciting time for me personally and it has been fantastic to be involved with him since. You never know what he will do next and those are the sort of players I like. I spoke to Jason in September last year, I was keen to get him back and I’m delighted he said yes.”

That Robinson, 33, is on the verge of a half-century of caps meant nothing at the time. He had been part of the World Cup-winning England team of 2003, he saw an England team who had charted an uneasy course since that year, he understood what Ashton wanted to do to turn fortunes round and wanted to help. “There’s a big thank you to be made to my wife, she’s the one who has made the sacrifices so I can do this,” he said.

What, Phil Vickery was asked, stood out for him about Robinson? “The earache, the annoyance,” the England captain said with a grin. “Like most of us, I used to watch him — I was about 8 at the time! But what a fantastic talent. When he moved across [from league], there were people who doubted him, but it’s been great to play with a bloke who has such heart, such passion, such skill.”

Robinson has been fundamental to the advance made by England during this World Cup, even when the hamstring he damaged against the Springboks prevented him playing in the matches against Samoa and Tonga.

“He’s the model professional,” Mike Catt, the oldest player in the England squad at 36, said. “He looks after himself and he’s an awesome bloke as well. He’s an unusual player, a good leader — look at last summer’s tour to South Africa [when Robinson was captain] — and he has the utmost respect from all the players. He has two big games left in him. Let’s hope we can make them special for him.”

Robinson, now officially “unattached” as far as club affiliations are concerned, will be seen on a couple more occasions after England’s World Cup ends, whether that is in the final on October 20 or the third-place play-off 24 hours earlier. He has agreed to play for the Barbarians against South Africa at Twickenham on December 1 and there are plans for a testimonial match next year.

Then the memories, for him and those of us privileged to watch him at close quarters, will be at an end. Those during his league career came thick and fast; in union, he will recall with pleasure the try he scored for the Lions against Australia at the Gabba in 2001, the try he scored for England in the 2003 World Cup final, also against Australia.

“Skill is one thing, but sometimes you have to have that hunger, that desire,” he said. “I have been proud to play for England, I always said that I believed in this England team.”

And belief, as his colleagues know, has helped to make Robinson one of the great players in world rugby.