Habana outlines reasons for Ashton recall and pinpoints why England struggled in 2018
Chris Ashton has been backed as a strong contender for an England recall by his former Toulon team-mate Bryan Habana after joining Sale Sharks.
In his only season with Toulon after departing Saracens, Ashton set a new Top 14 try-scoring record with 24 in 23 appearances.
He was released from his contract in the south of France two years early to complete a move to Sale, where he hopes to reignite his hopes of appearing at next year’s Rugby World Cup.
Habana has no doubt Ashton’s mentality will put him firmly in the frame as England look to pick themselves up from a 2-1 series defeat to South Africa in June and build up to Japan 2019.
“Breaking the Top 14 try-scoring record in your first season and the way in which he did it was absolutely fantastic,” Habana told Omnisport, speaking courtesy of Coco Fuzion 100.
“I think he’d have probably been disappointed not to have been seen as one of those special additions into that England set-up at either the Six Nations or in South Africa in June.
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“He’s made a decision to go back to Sale… purely from a Toulon point of view it’s sad to see because he had such a massive impact there, but really I think that, given his work ethic, given his professionalism, given how well he’s played over the last year, he’ll continue doing that at Sale and in so doing push for a place in that England set-up.
“Chris is a resilient fighter and he’ll definitely be working really hard to regain his place in that England set-up.”
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After losing their Six Nations crown this year with just two wins in the process, England blew leads of 21 and 12 points as they lost their opening two Tests of their tour to South Africa.
However, Habana believes England will have benefited from some time off after a hectic schedule and is confident Eddie Jones can get them back on track ahead of the World Cup.
“Winning that last game in Cape Town could’ve maybe turned the ship around. Eddie’s a resilient fighter so he’ll already have started planning after that last game in Cape Town for the Autumn series, putting things into place,” said Habana.
“He’s one of the best students of the game, an excellent tactician as well, so Eddie will be feeling the pressure but he thrives under pressure as well.
“He’ll know that a lot of that group that played in South Africa will have got a decent break and he’ll be planning that next block leading into the autumn series already.
“Saying exactly where England have gone wrong post that run of 17 straight wins is difficult to say. A lot of those English players have played a lot of rugby over the last two years. If you take the British and Irish Lions series, Saracens winning the Champions Cup [twice], Premiership rugby – there’s been a lot of rugby.
“Hopefully this break that a lot of the players have now got will sort of refresh the batteries and put them on a good path going to the Rugby World Cup next year.”
Comments on RugbyPass
Men should show strength and be mean, but they should be able to show emotion to those close yo them in certain times, birth of your child, death of family, proud moment. This article is stupid
4 Go to commentsWhat a weak article…absolute drivel and clickbait, well done. Will stick to rugby365 thanks
4 Go to commentsHonest, discipline, humility… Priceless.
2 Go to commentsSo many excuses. No mention of the SA number 2 being taken out illegally in the 2nd minute. That act of foul play had a massive impact on the SA game. Face it, NZ play pretty dirty very regularly, and it’s only since 2016 they’ve been held to higher officiating standards via stricter officiating and TMO reviews. They deserved to have a man down. Sorry. Fix the yellow and red cards and NZ will win more RWCs. Plus, there WAS a knock on invalidating the one try, so it was NOT a try. Period. Here’s a Kleenex…
208 Go to commentsOverheard conversation between NZ and SA rugby fans everywhere: We’re the greatest! No! we’re the greatest! We’re the greatest! No we’re the greatest! Ireland are arrogant! True but they beat you! We’re the greatest! No! we’re the greatest! Etc. etc, etc.
20 Go to commentsTypical crap Aussie weather
11 Go to comments“If they’d have beaten England, I still feel we would have been talking ‘is this the best team ever,’ ‘is this the best team that’s ever played in the Six Nations'” he said. “I still think they’re not quite that good. I actually don’t think they’re that good.” So Trimble is saying he doesn’t think this is the best 6N team of all time. He is silent on if it is the best Irish team of all time. Can’t disagree with him. Just another misrepresentative clickbait headline from the guys at RP.
20 Go to commentsWow, do we really still have to listen to all the excuses and “unfairness” of it all. Even blaming the bounce of an egg shaped ball for the loss. But the article is about context, so what about the Springboks having to play the other 5 teams in the top 6 and still beating a comparatively rested AB team on a very empty tank.
208 Go to comments“Teams would generally have three coaches below their head honcho; attack coach, defence coach, forwards coach” do they? I’m not sure what the NZ set up is tbh, but the other 4 sides top 5 sides all have very different structures to the one outlined in the article! As well as attack, defence, and forwards coaches, SA, Ireland, and France also have specialist scrum coaches. England have a specialist scrum coach too, but arguably don’t have a forwards coach, with that role taken on by Borthwick. SA also have a backs coach in addition to defence and attack, and Ireland and England have fitness coaches, with England also having two skills coaches.
2 Go to commentsWorst article I've read in a while. Trying to disguise a backhand slap as a compliment. The whole article is a bit weird and negative. I think South African men are emotional in general… think Clad le Clos’s father 2012 London Olympics.
4 Go to commentsIreland are going to win the world cup.
20 Go to commentsIt was the strangest result ever. Etzebeth should've been yellow card for his cynical retiring move and a penalty try. Birth second half tries by the Allblacks were fantastic and the TMO operating outside the law to rule out the first try was egregious. Yes, the boks got the win but it was through some bizarre officiating that allowed them to sneak home against 14 men that dominated them. The quieter Bok supporters know and acknowledge the Allblacks were the better and dominant side. Justifying the win because they beat a pre world cup Allblacks selection is silly.
208 Go to commentsA very English thing to do hey Courtney, blerrie kant
4 Go to commentsIt sounds like Andrew is trying to convince himself or has just lost all perspective. The team did look jaded for the last couple of games of the six nations but a few things were wrong there. Italy tackled their hearts out and made Ireland work hard for every try. Outsmarted by Scotland? Huh? Ireland got held up over the line about 4 times. Scotland did nothing on attack the whole game other than one breakaway near the end. A recharge and reset is needed which they hopefully will have had before the SA your.
20 Go to commentsIncluding SA and Argie teams was great for the quality of rugby, but middle of the night games and player travel/ jet lag make that unworkable. I think that SA in Europe and Argie building an American league with USA, Canada etc would be better long term. If Oz can't sustain Rebels then next cab off the rank should be a Japanese team. Keep regional comps to time zones, both club and test rugby. Then existing test windows for test tours plus RWC.
6 Go to commentsMisogynists have feelings too!
4 Go to commentsCrowd sizes of the URC v the Premiership must be a big factor.
1 Go to commentsWell you’ve made a proper tit of yourself, haven’t you! 😂
173 Go to commentsBen it's beyond their comprehension-
208 Go to commentsThanks Sam. Interesting read. Harder or easier for Parling to come into a completely new setup where performance was abysmal last time out? I’d suggest easier to be better but, as you suggest, will be a lot to do with how much latitude he’s granted. Hopefully all he needs. With hybrids like Holloway, Hannigan, Swinton and Leota as options at 6 we have the basics for a strong lineout. BPA returning means we have good options at 2 also with Faessler, Porecki and Uelese, although Jordan is a scrumming beast rather than a dart thrower. I’m typically a pessimist or realist but that’s never applied to the Wallabies
2 Go to comments