Jones leaves door open for Ashton
EDDIE JONES has kept the England door open for Chris Ashton – and joked that he shouldn’t play when he’s peckish.
The national boss has been in touch with the winger who was banned for 13 weeks after biting Northampton’s Alex Waller in Saracens’ 27-12 win at Allianz Park on September 17. And told him he has not been forgotten.
The suspension has ruled Ashton out of the autumn series and he has not played a Test match since June 2014 – and never under the Australian coach.
But Jones (below) has refused to write off the 29-year-old who has scored 19 tries in 39 internationals since 2010.
Jones said: “You cannot endorse any sort of behaviour like that. I sent him a text saying if you play well when you come back I will consider you. He needs to find a good restaurant in Barnet so he is not hungry.”
Jones named a 37-man training squad on Friday and the group meet in Brighton this week with the coach searching for a new No.7.
James Haskell – hero of the Grand Slam and Aussie whitewash – is out with a foot injury and Jones could backtrack and hand the jersey to Chris Robshaw, who he reckons is no seven.
Robshaw and Maro Itoje did the flanking duties for the last hour of the final Test against the Wallabies in Sydney.
And Jones said: “It is a possibility Maro and Robshaw play left and right.”