A former England international has revealed that Chris Ashton didn’t want to play for the national team under Eddie Jones after taking a dislike to the Australian’s methods during the 2018 November internationals. The current all-time Gallagher Premiership record try-scorer had quit playing in France for Toulon due to a desire to restart a Test career that had ended with a June 2014 cap away to New Zealand.
That 39th appearance with England appeared to be the last for Ashton, who went on to leave Saracens for Toulon three years later in 2017. However, such was his potency during his single season in the Top 14 – he finished with 24 tries in the 23 league outings – that he was tempted to return to the Premiership with the incentive of getting another shot with the national team.
Having joined Sale, Ashton was selected for the November series four years ago and after stepping off the England bench versus the Springboks, he was a try-scoring starter versus the All Blacks a week later but that display marked the high point of his fleeting return.
Ashton won just three more caps, starting against Japan and France either side of coming off the February 2019 Six Nations bench away to Ireland, and that was that for the winger who went on to play for Harlequins and Worcester in the top flight before hooking up with Leicester earlier this year to aid their successful run to title glory.
The story about Ashton and the sombre ending to his England career emerged on this week’s Rugby Pod show when co-host Andy Goode was asked if he thought head coach Jones has lost the dressing room after last weekend’s loss to South Africa left them with just five wins in a dozen games during 2022.
This week we’re joined by former Springboks coach Peter De Villiers to get his opinion on the England game, Rassie’s antics and his lifelong ambition to coach the baa-baas with Jim.??
Listen now on Spotify ? https://t.co/Yp1gkufiHd pic.twitter.com/CG8O1HiThP
— The Rugby Pod (@TheRugbyPod) November 29, 2022
