BLIND FAITH
Ashton tells Eddie: You don’t have to watch me in action.. trust me that I’m fit and ready for England duty
CHRIS ASHTON has told Eddie Jones that picking him is not a gamble – despite having yet to start his season.
Sale wing Ashton is finally free to lace his boots this weekend having served a sevenweek ban for his pre-season red card.
But the problem is
Jones (right) names his squad for England’s autumn campaign tomorrow, so including Ashton would involve blind faith.
He has never capped the 31-year-old, who last played for his country in 2014, and England’s opener against South Africa is little more than a fortnight off.
Yet Ashton was at pains to assure Jones that the way he lives his rugby life means he will be ready for England if called upon.
“I feel good, really good,” he said. “I’ve had a lot of time to train and put myself in a good position. I don’t see it as a worry for me at all.
“Being unable to play has been a shocker, it’s been really tough. But it’s not like I’ve not been out there. I’ve been on the field a lot, training all the time.
“It’s in preseasons when you have time off, that’s when lads lose their timing. But I never really drop off, even preseason I don’t really stop.
“I’m a bit of a weirdo like that.”
England need a lift after losing key forwards Billy Vunipola and Joe Launchbury to injury.
Nathan Hughes, who appears before disciplinary chiefs tonight, is set to also be ruled out.
Recalling the livewire Ashton would undoubtedly raise spirits but he has only Saturday’s home game against Connacht to shake off the rust and state his case.
“I don’t see why not,” replied Ashton, when asked if he seriously thinks he can be firing on all cylinders by Saturday fortnight.
“A lot of lads have long lay-offs. If you’re mentally where you need to be…”
Jonah Holmes, 26, underlined the point when called up by Wales despite missing Leicester’s start to the season – to perform best man duties for his brother.
Holmes is nephew of the late Andy Holmes, who won rowing gold medals at two Olympics with Sir
Steve Redgrave.