Ashton ‘left Toulon because of money row’
Toulon president Mourad Boudjellal has cast doubt on Chris Ashton’s motive for leaving his club for Sale. Ashton, currently serving a seven-week ban for illegally tackling Rory Kockott, of Castres, has made clear that he moved back to the Premiership to make himself available for a place with England.
That was after just one season with Toulon for whom he smashed the Top 14 try-scoring record with 24 in 23 games.
Now Boudjellal, in an interview with his local paper, alleges that Ashton asked for a new contract with a pay rise during a stormy meeting in his office.
No doubt Ashton will have his own version of the row but Boudjellal insists his account is true.
He said: “Ashton’s head was all over the place when I met him in my office. Things got very heated. Insults were even thrown.
“He went from his saying he wanted to leave to saying he wanted to re-sign for three more years with a pay rise.
“It was going all ways and we preferred to separate. And not for €100,000 euros but for a lot more.”
Toulon, who face Castres at home today, have lost their first two games of the season with Ashton far away, and learning this week that his return to action has been moved from October 9 to October 16 because his club included a friendly against Sale FC, which was subsequently cancelled, in the list of seven games he was due to miss.
Centre Maxime Mermoz, with Newcastle last season, yesterday had an emotional reunion with Toulouse whom he first joined as a 15-year-old.
He felt ex-France and Toulouse boss Guy Noves did not give him his chance before leaving on his travels to Perpignan, Toulon, Leicester and Newcastle.
His return to the Toulouse starting line-up was rewarded with a 33-26 win over La Rochelle, but it should have been better. His team looked to have the bonus point stitched on with a threetry 19-0 lead at the break thanks to scores from hooker Julien Marchand, fly-half Zack Holmes and winger Yoann Huget.
And, before the hour, backs Alban Placines and full-back Thomas Ramos had made it five, a nice cushion it seemed. But a remarkable La Rochelle comeback deprived them of the bonus with two tries from winger Eliott Roudil, one in the first half, and another double, in the last four minutes, from full-back Arthur Retiere.
Toulouse had asked the league to play their first two games away to allow their new playing surface to bed in. They took six points from their first two trips. Despite late lapses, they still look like a major threat for honours.
So do Racing whose ambitions have no limits. Their heavy home defeat by Clermont left such traces they crushed Agen 54-7.
The class cap between the teams yawned with seven Racing tries in the first half. Fijian centre Virimi Vakatawa scored two of them. His veteran compatriot Joe Rokocoko another before receiving a yellow card with Irish lock Donnacha Ryan, full-back Louis Dupichot, flanker Bernard Le Roux and hooker Camille Chat adding the others.
Such an avalanche of tries – there was another in the second half from Simon Zebo – is clearly a threat to a competition in which rich and poor appear not to belong on the same pitch.
Mohed Altrad, billionnaire presi- dent of Montpellier, is looking to invest in New Zealand rugby after his failure to grab a large share of Gloucester.
He watched his team play an entirely forgettable 9-9 draw at BordeauxBegles yesterday. An exercise in boredom, according to most observers.
Such a pity that the game was scarred by technical frailty and total absence of adventure. To such an extent there were only 15 minutes of actual play in the first half.
No doubt Montpellier, who trailed throughout until shortly before the close, will consider the tie with more relief, given they had two players, winger Benjamin Fall and South African hooker Bismarck du Plessis handed yellow cards, one in each half.
Bordeaux almost scored the game’s only try through Fijian winger Semi Radradra who was denied by a forward pass.
Baptiste Serin, their France international scrum-half, is a transfer target for Montpellier as well as Stade Francais. He kicked their three penalties, but missed two within his scope.
Montpellier hit back with one kick from South African scrum-half Ruan Pienaar and two from his compatriot Johan Goosen, the last one three minutes from time.
Bordeaux president Laurent Marti made an official complaint that the opposition had abused new rules allowing substitutes for injured players.
Promoted Perpignan seem set for a long battle against the odds after a 16-22 defeat at home to Lyon.
Irish recruit Paddy Jackson had an excellent match, but was left with nothing after a kicking exhibition from his fly-half counterpart Jonathan Wisniewski, who landed 17 points.
“Ashton’s head was all over the place. Things got very heated. Insults were thrown”
Mourad Boujellal