ASH ENJOYS A SPLASH OF POPULARITY

CHRIS ASHTON is finally feeling the love since announcing his retirement after years as rugby’s public enemy No.1.

The winger bows out at the end of this campaign with Leicester, putting the lid on a career spanning eight clubs in league and union and boasting 286 tries in both codes, including 98 Premiership scores and counting.

Ashton was targeted by rival fans for much of a career littered with disciplinary scrapes, on-field spats, a disastrous World Cup with England in 2011 and the Ash Splash try celebration (above).

But since revealing he was going to quit, the 36-year-old has been stunned by the barrage of goodwill he has attracted for the first time in his career.

“I’m normally used to getting a lot of hate,” said Ashton. “I prefer that actually so to get a lot of love is unusual. I play the game on the edge and I want to win. Sometimes people can look at that and think, ‘Why is he being like that?’. I’m doing my job to win.

“Some stages during my England career were hard. A lot of it is to do with social media, it’s so in front of you and so intense. I was playing for England when it all came flooding through and it was like, ‘F ***** hell what is this, why are people just hating you all of a sudden?’ ” Ashton scored 20 tries in 44 England games and could have had more but for a 10-week ban for gouging Ulster’s Luke Marshall in 2016.

■ PHIL DOWSON has warned Northampton not to take second-string Saracens lightly today.

Sarries have secured a home play-off so will rest England stars, but Saints must win to keep alive their play-off hopes. And boss Dowson said: “They have lots of experience of dealing with international players being away.”