Chris Ashton explains why England are failing to develop wingers

Former England winger Chris Ashton has criticized Eddie Jones’s conservative approach to rugby, blaming it for ruining England wingers’ potential.

Ashton argues that it has prevented many talented wingers from making their mark on the England team and suggests that a more open selection policy under Steve Borthwick could benefit the squad by introducing fresh talent and dynamism.

Ashton was largely shut out during the Jones’ England era, but when he did play he says training sessions left him out in the cold.

“It seems that every year, England always has a winger that we get excited about,” Ashton says. “We’ve had some fantastic wingers, but we haven’t seen someone breakthrough in the last few years for England. Why is that?

“The reason we haven’t seen someone really establish themselves in the wing position or break onto the scene with the same impact and ability that they show week-in, week-out in the Premiership is because of the way England have played over the last few years.

“I’ve been in England training sessions where I wouldn’t touch the ball for the entirety of them. How are wingers supposed to be able to make an impact when they aren’t seeing any of the ball in training? There were a number of occasions where wingers were going into games cold and would find themselves in the same situation in a match with so few touches of the ball. I used to get so frustrated about it.

“The kicking style and set piece style that was so successful under Eddie Jones, a style that worked for so many years until the end, was seen as the norm for wingers. It was a case of do your job and take the opportunity when it comes, but that style doesn’t make the most of talented players like Ollie Hassell-Collins who need touches of the ball and confidence from their coaches.

“Players like him play in teams that move the ball from wing to wing, which is how they have an impact on the game. They don’t do it through kick-chasing or kick-competing, so it limits the number of wingers that England have been able to trust to play that style of rugby.

“From what I saw against Italy, it looks like England are trying to move away from that approach under Steve Borthwick. It looks like we’re trying to play, and we went through some good phases. That will help the wingers,” concluded Ashton.

Chris Ashton was speaking with Gambling Zone. Read the full interview here.