Ashton facing England blow over tip-tackle
CHRIS ASHTON’S immediate return to the England set-up is under threat after he was charged with tip-tackling an opponent in an incident that saw him sent off for new club Sale.
Originally it seemed that the 31-year- old winger had punched France and Castres scrum-half Rory Kockott in the face in a pre- season friendly on Friday night. But footage that emerged yesterday shows he flipped his opponent up before dropping him dangerously.
Bans for this offence start at six weeks so, with a chequered disciplinary record after suspensions for biting and contact with the eye area, Ashton is in trouble.
Any suspension is likely to see him miss the chance to impress England coach Eddie Jones before a training squad is picked on September 20. Then he could only play once for Sale before the autumn internationals squad is selected.
This latest indiscretion is a huge blow to Ashton’s chances of revitalising his Test career.
Ashton left Saracens for Toulon in 2017, having given up hope of a recall, but has returned this summer to state his case for the 2019 World Cup in Japan. Meanwhile, the RFU will plough on with their case against Danny Cipriani despite calls from the Rugby Players’ Association to drop proceedings.
The England and Gloucester fly-half, 30, will be in the dock for the third time in a week when he sits in front of an RFU disciplinary panel in Bristol this evening.
Cipriani has already been fined £2,000 and made to pay £250 in damages by a Jersey court after pleading guilty to common assault and resisting arrest after a night out in St Helier last week which left a female police officer bruised.
His club fined him the same amount on Monday and ordered Cipriani to complete 10 hours’ community work.
Twickenham still feel there is a case to answer, but the RPA think this latest hearing is unnecessary.
‘As Gloucester have completed this process, we believe this should close the matter. We will be raising this directly with the RFU,’ said an RPA statement.