‘Greedy’ Ashton lands hat-trick to bite the Irish
IT JUST had to be Chris Ashton who stole the show. After seven weeks away, following a suspension picked up in pre-season, the England international returned in superb fashion and showed that Eddie Jones was correct in placing his trust in the wing.
The ex-Saracens and Toulon man was sharp and displayed typically predatory instincts to score a hat-trick and help his new employers to a second successive bonus-point triumph in the Challenge Cup.
“I think he’s been frustrated and had a point to prove,” Sharks’ director of rugby Steve Diamond said. “His selection for England has been somewhat controversial according to a couple of the media, but he’s a tremendous finisher.
“He’s hungry, he’s greedy and that’s how we want him. We’ve had to shut him up in training if I’m honest, he’s a nuisance! But that’s what you get with frustration.
“He was embarrassed by what happened (against Castres) but I thought we got the rough end of the stick with the sentence. It’s passed us by now, it’s behind us and his experience has come to the fore in training.”
Ashton’s initial intervention – a well-taken try that saw him hand-off Tiernan O’Halloran and sprint 40 metres before touching down – enlivened a Sharks side which had, up to that point, produced a mistake-ridden performance.
Connacht had controlled play nicely in the first half, deservedly going 13-6 ahead via Shane Delahunt’s effort and a brace of Conor Fitzgerald penalties, but the Greater Manchester outfit – and their star wing – responded excellently.
Ashton’s score, which added to earlier Faf de Klerk three-pointers, gave the hosts the impetus going into the second period and Diamond’s men duly dominated.
The pack lifted the intensity and the Irish province failed to cope. Josh Beaumont, who was powerful and abrasive throughout, drove over from a fivemetre scrum before Ashton scored his second.
Those quick-fire efforts stunned the visitors and they never recovered, conceding for the fourth time as the recalled Red Rose international crossed the whitewash for his third try to secure the bonus-point and put Sale in a fine position heading into the December double-header with Bordeaux-Begles.