Wacky reason why Chris Ashton had to shelve Ash Splash celebration
Hard to believe it’s now four years since Chris Ashton was last capped by England but he will keep abreast of the live updates from their Guinness Six Nations match on Saturday even though he has got his own Leicester fixture to prepare for. With the national team slated to kick off versus Wales at 4:45pm, Premiershio Rugby have pencilled in the Tigers’ away game at London Irish for a 7:30pm start, a timing that should allow the former Test winger the opportunity to monitor most events in Cardiff before his warm-up begins in Brentford.
Ashton exited the England scene on something of a downer. He had been coaxed into returning from France by Eddie Jones with a view to competing for a place in the 2019 Rugby World Cup squad. However, he earned the last of his 44 caps in February that year against the French at Twickenham and that was that.
The intensity of the Jones’ environment was too much for the family man’s liking and he felt it best that he stepped away. Not that there was any lingering acrimony. He continued to want England to do well, a feeling that is now even more given that it’s Steve Borthwick, the coach who brought him to Leicester, that has now taken over from Jones for this Six Nations and beyond.
“Yeah, of course,” enthused Ashton when quizzed by RugbyPass if he still takes an interest in the fortunes of the England team. “Very much an England fan and even more of a vested interest now with the coaches that have gone in there and all the players that are there from Leicester.
“It’s such a great group of lads that are in there and hopefully they will be in there for many, many years. So yeah, I’m very much looking forward to the game (against Wales). Our game is on after so people will be following on straight after.”
It's a record-equalling try from Chris Ashton! ?
That's his 92nd score in the #GallagherPrem, drawing level with Tom Varndell. pic.twitter.com/xKwlyRCLQe
— Rugby on TNT Sports (@rugbyontnt) March 27, 2022
There are five Leicester players in the latest England match day 23, with Borthwick confirming on Thursday that he was giving Anthony Watson his first start for his country since March 2021. Currently, the rookie Test head coach is at breakeven – one win and one loss so far. What has Ashton made of the early-days Borthwick era? “It’s always going to be difficult for Steve to come in at such a short time.
“It is a positive getting him in there earlier (than after the World Cup). There is going to be some change from coach to coach in how they want to play and the main focus has to be the World Cup and just use these games how he sees fit to fit into the big summer that is coming up.”
Soon to be 36, Ashton is one of a number of veterans at Leicester who have bucked the consensus that rugby is supposedly a game for young men. Alongside him at London Irish will be the 37-year-old Mike Brown and the 39-year-old Jimmy Gopperth. They amusingly stand out in certain aspects in the Leicester inner sanctum.
“One group is talking about daddy daycare and the other group is talking about Tik-Tok. I don’t even know how to get that app on my phone,” quipped Ashton about the dynamics of Tigers’ dressing room. “There is a difference but it blends together. The younger lads the majority, from my experience with them, have got an older head on their shoulders.
“They are a lot more intelligent than what they let on and they have come through a really good academy or been professional from the off, so they appreciate the standards of where things need to be a lot easier than maybe what I would have done as a young fella.”
Ashton now definitely knows his body well and what is needed regarding the best preparation for him to perform. He endured a terrible time since stepping away from England, quitting Sale in a hurry after a falling out with Steve Diamond and then enduring unsettled periods at Harlequins and Worcester.
He made just 26 appearances in a two-and-a-half year period from September 2019, but the lifeline given to him by Borthwick this time last year was a career saver, Ashton going on to play 24 times for Leicester in the past 12 months. “Really pleased,” he enthused when that statistical contrast was put to him.
“I have got a part to play in that obviously but it is also down to the management and the physios, coaches and Aled Walters, the head of S&C here, who understands the benefit of having older and experienced players around but also managing them right.
49-year-old Chris Ashton scores his 769th Premiership try ? #BRIvLEI | Credit: @btsportrugby pic.twitter.com/DSQKrDBnu6
— RugbyPass (@RugbyPass) December 3, 2022
“You have to get a level of training high enough to be able to perform at the weekend but the most important thing is the weekend and getting that bit right and getting the best out of each other on the weekend. It has been massive for me to have people that are very understanding and want the best for the players to be able to perform on the weekend.”
So what has changed to ensure Leicester fans get to enjoy peak Ashton? “I wouldn’t be expected to do what the younger lads do. I’d do the main sessions with the team but I would be looked after and expected to make it up in different areas when you are a bit warmer and after training and stuff. I’m not necessarily missing, I just get to do it at different times of the day let’s say.
“Every coach has got their different schedules and how they want to do training. Here this works for me, allowing my body to rest in between big sessions. Not going back to back to back on days training. It’s all timed and put in place to have enough rest to be able to recover and go again which helps me just have the time in between to get myself ready again and be able to train.
“I have only given myself a week or two off in pre-season,” he added. “I find it is better not to stop, just keep going, keep training. Otherwise, if you let levels drop and you have got to go all the way back up, it makes it too hard. I prefer to stay at one level and maintain. You have to enjoy training. You’re struggling from the off if you don’t enjoy it.”
All the while at Leicester, Ashton has delivered 10 tries (nine in the Premiership and one in Europe), enough to finally enable him to surpass Tom Varndell and become the English league’s all-time record try-scorer. He paused when asked to pick his best five-pointer as a Tigers player. “Good question. I think Bristol at home. Because it was a long run-in. I prefer those ones.”
Remember this try? Chris Ashton won the 2010 try of the year with this outstanding effort. Who will be this year's winner? #WorldRugbyAwards pic.twitter.com/v2WRY4prix
— World Rugby (@WorldRugby) September 3, 2017
Where has the infamous Ash Splash gone, though, the much debated, dive-in-the-air celebration in the act of scoring? “The in-ball area at Mattioli Woods Welford Road is too short. I’ll end up jumping into the stand, it’s that possible,” he chuckled.
Did he learn this the hard way? “Me and Steve (Borthwick) practiced it and we went too far, so not possible,” he explained, laughing.
Crowned Premiership champions last June with a Twickenham win over Saracens, Ashton’s former club, eighth-place Leicester trailed the table-topping Londoners by 23 points heading into this weekend’s round 18 fixtures. How does he rate Tigers’ title retention hopes?
“We have come close in a couple of games, we have lost in the last five minutes and it was really disappointing. Last season it would have gone the other way just because the flow and the confidence were behind us, so we have been unlucky.
“But not much has changed here (with Richard Wigglesworth as interim head coach). Not much has changed in our approach so we are confident we are going to be able to get through it and that is the goal, that is the target. We want to get back to the final and defend the trophy.”
Comments on RugbyPass
Results probably skewed by the fact that a few clubs have foreign fly halves in their 30s, but most teams have young English scrum halves. Results also likely to be skewed by the fact that many teams rely on centres and fullbacks to provide depth at 10, whereas they will need to stock a large number of specialist backup 9s.
1 Go to commentsI really get the sense that when all is said and done, the path of least resistance will end up being a merger of Wasps & Worcester that essentially kills the Worcester Warriors brand and sees Wasps permanently playing at Sixways. I’m not saying that’s what should happen or what I want to happen. I just think it’s the easiest rout to take and therefore, will be what happens. Wasps will definitely return to play first, and I suppose it all depends on if they can find support at Sixways. If people turn up and support Wasps in that community, at that ground, I bet they drop the Sevenoaks plan and just remain at Sixways. Under the radar but not totally unrelated, it looks as though London Irish are going to be brought back from the dead by a German consortium and look set to return, likely to the remade Championship. It’s set to have 12 clubs next season with 14 in 2025/26, what do you want to bet those extra 2 are Wasps and London Irish?
1 Go to commentsThe shoulder is a “joint” with multiple bones. You don’t “fracture” a shoulder, you fracture any one or more of the bones that make up a shoulder.
2 Go to commentsOh dear, bones too suspect to continue?
2 Go to commentsBold headline considering the Canes and Blues are 1 and 2 and the Brumbies were soundly beaten by the Chiefs and Blues. Biggest surprise is Rebels 4 Crusaders 12 - no one saw that coming. If Aus are improving that’s great 👍
1 Go to commentsAnna, You are right, we need to have patience whilst the others catch up to England and France. Also it is the PWR that has been the game changer for England. the RFU put money into that initially at the expense of the Red Roses. I was sceptical at first but it has paid off in spades.
1 Go to commentsI think Matt Proctor became a 1 test AB in the same fixture. Cameron is quality and has been great this season, can’t believe’s he only 27. Realistically how would he not be selected for ABs squad this year. Only Dmac is ahead of him as a specialist 10. With Jordan out, it will come down to where and when Beauden Barrett slots back in, and where they want to play Ruben Love. Cameron seems an absolute lock in for the wider squad though. Added benefit of TJ-Cameron-Jordie combination at 9, 10, 11 too.
1 Go to commentsFarcical, to what end would someone want to pay to keep this thing going.
1 Go to commentsHavili, our best 12 by a mile, will be in the squad, if he stays fit. JB is the most overrated AB in the last 50 years.
61 Go to commentsWe had during the week twilight footy, twilight cricket, tw golf plus there was the athletics club. Then the weekend was rugby 15s plus the net ball, really busy club scene back then but so much has changed and rugby has suffered. And it was all about changing lifestyles.
6 Go to commentsIn the 70s and 80s my club ran 5 Senior sides plus a Vets. Now it is 2 sides with an occasional 3rd team. Players have difficulty getting to training now, not sure why and the commitment is not there. It seems to me more a problem of people applying themselves and not expecting to turn up and play whenever they want to.
6 Go to commentsROG’s contract is until 2027. The conversation about a successor to Galthie after RWC 2027 may be starting now. We can infer that Galthie’s reign stops then. He is throwing the Irish Coaching Job angle in because he is Irish. The next Irish coach MUST be Leo Cullen. As well as being the best coach available, coaching the vast majority of Irish Internationals week in week out, he has shown incredible skill at recruiting the best coaching staff for the job in hand. That was a failing in France. Cullen is a shrewd guy and if there is a need for foreign coaches underneath him he won’t hesitate. Rightly so. Ireland does need to start to bring Irish coaches through. Not just at the professional level but we need to train coaches to man new pathways for developing kids from schools/clubs up through the divisions.
8 Go to commentsNo Islam says it must rule where it stands Thus it is to be deleted from this planet Earth
18 Go to commentsThis team probably does not beat the ABs sadly Not sure if BPA will be available given his signing for Force but has to enter consideration. Very strong possibility of getting schooled by the AB props. Advantage AB. Rodda/Skelton would be a tasty locking combination - would love to see how they get on. Advantage Wallabies. Backrow a risk of getting out hustled and outmuscled by ABs. Will be interesting to see if the Blues feast on the Reds this weekend the way they did the Brumbies we are in big trouble at the breakdown. Great energy, running and defence but goalkicking/general kicking/passing quality in the halves bothers me enormously. SA may have won the World Cup for a lot of the tournament without a recognised goalkicker but Pollard in the final made a difference IMO. Injuries and retirements leave AB stocks a bit lighter but still stronger. 12 and 13 ABs shade it (Barret > Paisami, Ione = Ikitau, arguably) Interesting clash of styles on the wings - Corey Toole running around Caleb Clark and Caleb running over the top of Toole. Reece vs Koro probably the reverse. Pretty even IMO. 15s Kelleway = Love See advantage to ABs man for man, but we are not obviously getting slaughtered anywhere which makes a nice change. Think talent wise we are pretty even and if our cohesion and teamwork is better than the ABs then its just about doable.
11 Go to commentsCompletely agree. More friday night games would be a hit. RFU to make sure every club has a floodlit pitch. Club opens again Saturday to welcome touch / tag. Minis and youths on Sunday
6 Go to comments1.97m and 105Kg? Proportionately, probably skinnier than me at 1.82 and 82kilos. He won’t survive against the big guys at that weight.
56 Go to commentsThe value he brought to the crusaders as an assistant was equal to what he got out of being there. He reflected not only on the team culture but also the credit he attributed to the rugby community. Such experience shouldn’t be overlooked.
8 Go to commentsGood luck Aussie
11 Go to commentssmith at 9 / mounga 10 / laumape 12 / fainganuku 14
61 Go to commentsBar the injuries, it’s pretty much their top team …
2 Go to comments