Chris Robshaw is in a relaxed mood. In fact, as we speak to him, he is being styled ahead of our photoshoot. His chiselled (but let's face it, slightly bashed-up) features are having make-up applied.

"I'm not sure when I began playing rugby I thought I'd be doing much of this," he says. "But you know what, I quite like it. People don't generally stop me in the street but every now and again they do. I've even had the odd drink bought for me, so there are benefits!

Robshaw, 29, is the man who – fitness permitting – will lead out England at the Rugby World Cup later this month. To play for your country is one thing; to captain them is something else entirely. To captain them at a World Cup in your own country? Now that's an honour that very few sportsmen can ever hope to attain. But Robshaw is taking it in his (very large) stride. Maybe this is one of the reasons he was made captain in the first place.

It is hard to imagine him ever getting flustered at all, and in the depths of the battle, a calm head can make all the difference. Robshaw clearly can't wait for the tournament to begin now: as much as he may cope admirably with the publicity work that goes on before, the place where he really feels comfortable is in the stadium on match day.

"We'll all be excited before that first game," he says. "You speak to the players and they can't wait. I'm sure we will be nervous but this is something that has been talked about now for the last three or four years: a home World Cup, something for the whole country to look forward to. We will use that to our advantage, go out there and enjoy the occasion – it's not the sort of thing that comes along that often.

"When you get to the stadium, that's the bit you want to do, the bit you feel more comfortable with. During the week in the build-up to a game there's so much other stuff happening: training, preparation, recovery, diet, appearances… but when you get to match day that's what it's really all about. This is what we love doing. We love playing rugby. And we're about to play in one of the greatest stadiums in the entire world against a great team – and it really is a joyous place to be."

Home Advantage

The tournament, and what it means for rugby union (and sport generally) in this country is not lost on Robshaw, although he is keen to play down comparisons with the London 2012 Olympic Games. He knows, however, that the next few weeks are hugely important.

"The World Cup will be brilliant to help grow the game," he says. "The good thing is that it's not just in London – although Twickenham will be the heart of it as HQ – but there are games in Newcastle, Exeter, Brighton… all over the country. A couple in Wales, too. It really will take towns and cities by storm – and hopefully get the next generation into the game too.

If you try to do it all yourself you can suffer. I did that earlier in my career – you lose focus

"Of course, the Olympics is the biggest sporting event in the world, along with the Football World Cup, so it's tough to compete. But the important thing is we attract people who don't normally watch rugby. That's the big thing; it's about getting everyone involved.

"I'm sure we will. I think everyone was the same in the Olympics, when we watched swimming or something that we weren't too familiar with – you still get so involved and passionate about it. And we saw how well the British athletes did as a result of all that support, so hopefully we'll see something similar in the World Cup and it will spur us on a little bit more."

Get the look

Get the look

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Photography by David Harrison

While it is true that it will be a tournament for the whole country, England will play their matches at Twickenham, of course. It is a stadium where the atmosphere on matchdays gets ever more intense, and Robshaw believes that the crowd will play a huge role for the home side. "It's incredible running out there – it's something you dream about as a kid," he says. "The noise is tremendous, and when the crowd really gets behind you, you definitely feel it.

"It helps you get off the ground that bit quicker, get into position that bit quicker – it just gives you that extra little lift which is so important. I love singing the national anthem at Twickenham, too. To have 80,000 people singing alongside you is just a tremendous feeling. The volume, the atmosphere – it definitely gets you in the right place."

Leading from within

The England squad is blessed with great strength and depth right now, and Robshaw's place in the team owes as much to his leadership qualities as his not-inconsiderable skills on the pitch. He is, simply, a very effective leader. But he plays down his role in that respect – clearly, he is not one for Churchillian pre-match speeches, although he takes the captaincy very seriously.

"To lead out your country is very special," he says. "I'm fortunate to have a very good group of guys around me – other leaders, other players – who help the team go in the right direction. Everyone gets everyone else going. At the level these guys are playing at, they are so highly motivated anyway that before we step on to the pitch you probably don't need to say too much.

"In the dressing room beforehand, you just have to respect people's individual preparations. Some guys make some noise; some guys just want to be left alone. My role is about having an understanding of what the team needs at any point: reading the situation, knowing how everyone's preparations have gone. There is a time to shout, a time to talk. Whether it's myself or one of the other guys, it's about getting key messages across.

"It's important for me to remember it's not just me. If you try to do it all yourself you can suffer. I think I maybe did that earlier in my career – tried to do too much and you can't; you lose focus. So you need other senior players in the team to step up. You place your trust in them to look after their individual area, whether that's line-outs, scrums, defence, attack… and the captain oversees it."

Robshaw speaks with other leaders, not just in rugby but other sports (including cricket's Andrew Strauss) and in business, to help him understand the job better. He even took a stand-up comedy class and performed in front of his Harlequins team-mates to get him out of his comfort zone. ("That's the most scared I've ever been. I wasn't particularly good… my best joke was probably: 'I didn't realise I was dyslexic until I went to a toga party dressed as a goat!' To be fair there wasn't a lot of other material. I can say that, by the way, because I am actually dyslexic…")

Team Spirit

Robshaw has unfinished business with the Rugby World Cup – or indeed, business that is yet to start. Four years ago he was left out of the final squad to travel to New Zealand by coach Martin Johnson. He insists he does not dwell on it but adds: "It's important for me just to get to play in a World Cup. Other players have told me how special it is, how completely different it is from anything else.

"Last time… [he pauses] well, I wasn't the only one. A lot of other guys did the training and didn't make it either. There are only a certain number of guys that can go. I had a little mope and then I just got back to training hard and tried to move forward."

It is good to know that is in our locker – those games when you know you have to go out and just attack

England arrive at the World Cup having been pipped to this year's RBS 6 Nations by Ireland, but nonetheless buoyed by the progress they have made. "A lot of questions were asked about how we could attack and break teams down, and I think we scored 18 tries in the 6 Nations which is a lot more than the next team," says Robshaw. "And we feel we still left some out there, so that was very important. We have come on a huge amount."

Chris Robshaw's career highlights

In particular, the final match, which saw England beat France 55-35, showed the weapons at coach Stuart Lancaster's disposal. True, his side needed to beat France by 26 points to have a chance of winning the title, and unfortunately fell short by six points, but it was the way England set about attacking their opponents that encouraged Robshaw.

Scrums and the City

"There are definitely parallels between business and sport. I've got a couple of businesses myself – a coffee and wine business and an events business. A lot of my family are in business.

A lot of rugby guys go into the City and are very successful – they're used to working in teams under immense pressure. Would I ever contemplate a career in the City? I'm not sure, I've got a couple of years on the pitch left in me yet. When the time comes for me to hang up my boots I'll make a decision then and see where I go…"

"It is good to know that is in our locker. Those games when you know you have to go out and just attack. We knew we needed to win by 26 points so we had no other option. Unfortunately, in doing so, we conceded a few too many points, but it was a demonstration of what we are really capable of. You have to be able to attack teams at the right times. But that match, the way we finished the 6 Nations, playing at home, gave us a great lift. We will hit the ground running. You can't really afford to start slowly in World Cups."

England's squad will be hugely important, believes Robshaw. "It's not just about 15 guys any more; it's about 30 guys. It's important we challenge each other. In training the guys push one another because they all want to be in the starting 15 but after training they go off in their groups to work together and make one another better. Even though you're competing for the same spot you are still working together for the good of the team.

He is reluctant to name individuals but singles out James Haskell as a positive influence in the camp ("good fun but trains extremely hard – one of the hardest trainers in the set-up and the most professional guy going") and youngsters such as George Ford and Jonathan Joseph, who have impressed so much in the England shirt. "They had to be patient but when the chance came along they seized it with both hands and really excelled.

I think Jonathan Joseph got the players' player of the year award which is a huge accolade, and England player of the year as well."

Now the waiting is over. Chris Robshaw prepares to lead his team into the furnace of Twickenham with the World Cup in sight. The pressure will be enormous but you sense he wouldn't have it any other way.

The full interview can be found in the September issue of Square Mile. To see if you qualify for a free subscription, click here