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In Defense Of A Biting, Gouging, Swan Diving Gobshite
Chris Ashton is not an easy man to like, let alone love. But as the Saracens winger takes his position on the sidelines for the 13 week duration of his latest ban, Lee Calvert make the case for why we should all try harder to do just that.
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Chris Ashton: an eye-fidgeting, prop-chomping, hair-pulling, swan diving clungetrumpet who loves nothing more than to rub opposition fans the wrong way. An all round unconscionable gobshite of the worst kind.
He sits out the next three-and-a-bit months, this time for biting Northampton Saints prop Alex Waller. This is after he was banned last season for putting his hands near the eyes of an Ulster player in a European Champions Cup match. And that’s just the big stuff: he’s also generally gobby, arrogant and makes absolutely no secret of the fact that he bloody loves scoring tries and then rubbing it in the faces of the team he has scored against. What a truly terrible, awful person.
Or is he?
Ashton made one of the most difficult journeys in English rugby, moving from rugby league club Wigan Warriors at twenty years old to play for Northampton. Yes, he was well compensated, but plenty before him have done the same and failed. Instead he scored an obscene number of tries for his new rugby union team, earned an England call-up and kept on scoring at that level. As well as his very obvious talent, a huge part of what allowed him to make the transition so successfully at such a relatively tender age was the very same cockiness that he is now pilloried for. Very few were complaining about his general demeanour when he scored a glorious try vs the Wallabies in 2010, or ran in four vs Italy in the Six Nations.
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It often feels like Chris Ashton is unfairly judged. Compare him to Dylan Hartley, the current England captain, who has a list of misdemeanours so long he could be a peripheral character in Goodfellas – including calling a referee a “fucking cheat” in the Premiership final – but is now being feted as a fabulous leader of England’s current new dawn. Ashton’s recent infringements have arguably been harshly judged: the gouging vs Ulster was not a heinous example by anyone’s measure, and the Saracens winger was found guilty of biting Alex Waller after the Saints man had first gripped his neck and then grabbed at his face before ramming his arm into Ashton’s mouth. Is it maybe because Hartley is a union lad through and through and Ashton is a gobby northerner who came in from rugby league and remains one of the best wingers in the land?
It is this last point that people are too quick to discount, because they dislike the make-up of his character, or at least what they think they know of his character. The reality is that off the field his is charming and funny and was praised by a judge in 2012 for displaying “admirable restraint” when a stranger in a bar attempted to glass him in the face when he was out with his girlfriend.
There is an understandable tendency in rugby to want all our players to be ‘decent people’. The trouble with that is that if we narrow the definition of what that means and apply so many morals to it then anyone who stands outside of it is seen as somehow wrong or questionable. Ashton is one of those people simply because he sometimes loses his temper, oversteps with his chopsy talk and celebrates to a level many find distasteful. But do we really want a game made up exclusively of Richie McCaws and Chris Robshaws? Just think how boring that would be.
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Chris Ashton is a truly exceptional talent – let’s not allow a few foibles blind us to that.
Comments on RugbyPass
I hope WRU cops a 12 month ban.
1 Go to commentsOuch. Pumped. Even Nohamba is a better flyhalf than Ford.
2 Go to commentsI hope Leinster’s proud of themselves fielding a poor team. They should decide if they’re all in or not.
2 Go to commentsJordie is looking at 16 games maximum if Leinster reach both the URC and champions cup finals. Thats not guaranteed. Some of those home URC fixtures will be cakewalks as well for Leinster and there is not much doing during the 6 nations in Feb and March so he can probably get a decent rest then. He will have to really put in it for maybe 7 or 8 games max. It should be a good move for both.
13 Go to commentsThe game was a quarter final, not a semi final. Barrett will be here for 6 months, he is no one's replacement at 13. That mantle will most likely ultimately go to Jamie Osborne, though Garry Ringrose has at least 4 more years in him. The long term problem position (in the next 3 years) for Leinster is tighthead prop, though there are a couple of prospects at schools level.
30 Go to commentsSo much for all that hype surrounding the ‘revival’ of Aussie rugby. The Blues were without the likes of regular starters Perofeta, Sullivan, Christie etc… This was a capitulation of the highest order by Australia’s finest. Joe Schmidt definitely has his work cut out for him.
2 Go to commentsYes they can ignore Sotutu. Like Akira Ioane plays OK at Super level but gets lost in tests. Too many chances too many failures.
2 Go to commentsA wallaby front-row of Bell, Blake and Tupou…now that would be hefty
1 Go to comments“But with an exceptional pass accuracy rating “ Which apart from Roigard is not a feature of any of the other 9s in NZ. Kind of basic for a Black 9 dont.you. think? Yet we keep seeing FC and TJ being rated ahead of him? Weird if it’s seen as vital to get our backline beating in your face defences.
1 Go to commentsThanks BeeMc! Looks like many teams need extra time to settle from the quadrennial northern migration. I think generally the quality of the Rugby has held up. Fiji has been fantastic and fun to watch
13 Go to commentsLets compare apples with apples. Lyon sent weak team the week before, but nobody raised an eyebrow. Give the South African teams a few years to build their depth, then you will be moaning that the teams are too strong.
41 Go to commentsDid footballs agents also perform the scout role at some time? I’m surprised more high profile players haven’t taken up the occupation, great way to remain in the game and use all that experience without really requiring a lot of specific expertise?
1 Go to commentsSuper rugby is struggling but that has little to do with sabbaticals. 1. Too many teams from Aust and NZ - should be 3 and 4 respectively, add in 2 from Japan, 1 possibly 2 from Argentina. 2. Inconsistent and poor refereeing, admittedly not restricted to Super rugby. Only one team was reffed at the breakdown in Reds v H’Landers match. Scrum penalty awarded in Canes v Drua when No 8 had the ball in the open with little defence nearby - ideal opportunity to play advantage. Coming back to Reds match - same scrum situation but ref played advantage - Landers made 10 yards and were penalised at the breakdown when the ref should have returned to scrum penalty. 3. Marketing is weak and losing ground to AFL and NRL. Playing 2 days compared with 4. 4. Scheduling is unattractive to family attendance. Have any franchises heard of Sundays 2pm?
13 Go to commentsAbsolutely..all they need is a chance in yhe playoffs and I bet all the other teams will be nervous…THEY KNOW HOW TO WIN IM THE PLAYOFFS..
2 Go to commentsI really hope he comes back and helps out with some coaching.
1 Go to commentsI think we are all just hoping that the Olympic 7s doesn’t suffer the same sad fate as the last RWC with the officials ruining the spectacle.
1 Go to commentsPersonally, I’ve lost the will to even be bothered about the RFU, the structure, the participants. It’s all a sham. I now simply enjoy getting a group of friends together to go and watch a few games a year in different locations (including Europe, the championship, etc). I feel extremely sorry for the real fans of these clubs who are constantly ignored by the RFU and other administrators. I feel especially sorry for the fans of clubs in the Championship who have had considerable central funding stripped away and are then expected to just take whatever the RFU put to them. Its all a sham, especially if the failed clubs are allowed to return.
10 Go to commentsI’m guessing Carl Hayman would have preferred to have stayed in NZ with benefit of hindsight. Up north there is the expectation to play twice as many games with far less ‘player management’ protocols that Paul is now criticising. Less playing through concussions means longer, healthier, careers. Carter used as the eg here by Paul, his sabbatical allowed him to play until age 37. OK its not an exact science but there is far more expectations on players who sign for Top 14 or Engl Prem clubs to get value for the huge salaries. NZR get alot wrong but keeping their best players in NZ rugby is not one of them. SA clubs are virtually devoid of their top players now, no thanks. They cant threaten the big teams in the Champions Cup, the squads have little depth. Cant see Canes/Chiefs struggling. Super has been great this year, fantastic high skill matches. Drua a fantastic addition and Jaguares will add another quality team eventually. Aus teams performing strongly and no doubt will benefit with the incentive of a Lions tour and a home RWC. Let Jordie enjoy his time with Leinster, it will allow the opportunity for another player to emerge at Canes in his absence.
13 Go to commentsLove that man, his way to despise angry little men is so funny ! 😂
6 Go to comments“South African franchises would be powerhouses if we had all our overseas based players back in situ. We would have the same unbeatable aura the Toulouses, Leinsters or Saracens of this world have had over the last decade or so.” Proof that Jake white does not understand the economics of the game in SA. Players earning abroad are not going to simply come back and represent the bulls. But they might if they have a springbok contract.
27 Go to comments