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The appearance of Brian Ashton at Pennyhill has set Twitter tongues wagging

By Online Editors
Will Carling and Brian Ashton

Fans have been giving their views on Twitter after former coach Brian Ashton was seen with the England team at Pennyhill Park yesterday.

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Ashton is one of the most revered minds in world rugby when it comes to his attacking philosophy, and has been called upon by many teams, including the All Blacks, to offer his wisdom.

In light of his appearance, this is what some fans said:

https://twitter.com/skillacq/status/1102927143330295808
https://twitter.com/shaftoflame/status/1102920994228973568
https://twitter.com/sharkybathman/status/1102908979221590017
https://twitter.com/PaulWalker1973/status/1102913051223834625
https://twitter.com/LackOfToast/status/1102907664789430276

It is clear that these fans see Ashton as an underrated and underused asset that England have wisely called up. Eddie Jones has not been averse to calling on a number of people from all walks of life to aid and improve his team. Already this Six Nations he has had visits from the Georgian rugby team and former England Football captain John Terry- an example of the range of external influences he calls upon.

Throughout his tenure as coach, he has used many more.
Although Ashton’s reign as head coach may not be remembered as the greatest, his reputation as one of the most astute minds in the game has remained. In light of England’s most recent performance against Wales at Cardiff, they could benefit greatly from his input.

Jones’ men seemed to lack any attacking potency at the Principality Stadium, and were heavily reliant on their kicking game, which did not get them very far. Although it is unlikely there will be a complete revolution of the team in a fortnight, particularly as England had performed so well up until round three, the former Bath coach can still impart some knowledge.

Jones has persistently said that there is a lot more to come from his England team, and they are still very rough around the edges. Their performance against Wales was clear that there is a lot of work to do, but using the services of someone like Ashton will only help, and the fans clearly agree.

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Trevor 1 hours ago
Will forgotten Wallabies fit the Joe Schmidt model?

Thanks Brett.. At last a positive article on the potential of Wallaby candidates, great to read. Schmidt’s record as an international rugby coach speaks for itself, I’m somewhat confident he will turn the Wallaby’s fortunes around …. on the field. It will be up to others to steady the ship off the paddock. But is there a flaw in my optimism? We have known all along that Australia has the players to be very competitive with their international rivals. We know that because everyone keeps telling us. So why the poor results? A question that requires a definitive answer before the turn around can occur. Joe Schmidt signed on for 2 years, time to encompass the Lions tour of 2025. By all accounts he puts family first and that’s fair enough, but I would wager that his 2 year contract will be extended if the next 18 months or so shows the statement “Australia has the players” proves to be correct. The new coach does not have a lot of time to meld together an outfit that will be competitive in the Rugby Championship - it will be interesting to see what happens. It will be interesting to see what happens with Giteau law, the new Wallaby coach has already verbalised that he would to prefer to select from those who play their rugby in Australia. His first test in charge is in July just over 3 months away .. not a long time. I for one wish him well .. heaven knows Australia needs some positive vibes.

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Bull Shark 5 hours ago
Jake White: Are modern rugby players actually better?

Of the rugby I’ve born witness to in my lifetime - 1990 to date - I recognize great players throughout those years. But I have no doubt the game and the players are on average better today. So I doubt going back further is going to prove me wrong. The technical components of the game, set pieces, scrums, kicks, kicks at goal. And in general tactics employed are far more efficient, accurate and polished. Professional athletes that have invested countless hours on being accurate. There is one nation though that may be fairly competitive in any era - and that for me is the all blacks. And New Zealand players in general. NZ produces startling athletes who have fantastic ball skills. And then the odd phenomenon like Brooke. Lomu. Mcaw. Carter. Better than comparing players and teams across eras - I’ve often had this thought - that it would be very interesting to have a version of the game that is closer to its original form. What would the game look like today if the rules were rolled back. Not rules that promote safety obviously - but rules like: - a try being worth 1 point and conversion 2 points. Hence the term “try”. Earning a try at goals. Would we see more attacking play? - no lifting in the lineouts. - rucks and break down laws in general. They looked like wrestling matches in bygone eras. I wonder what a game applying 1995 rules would look like with modern players. It may be a daft exercise, but it would make for an interesting spectacle celebrating “purer” forms of the game that roll back the rules dramatically by a few versions. Would we come to learn that some of the rules/combinations of the rules we see today have actually made the game less attractive? I’d love to see an exhibition match like that.

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