Live action from the Premiership semi-finals ASHTON’S TWO HOT
RUGBY UNION
CHRIS ASHTON’S double helped Saracens book their spot in Saturday’s Premiership final, but Eddie Jones suffered a double injury scare.
The England boss must have winced as his star man Manu Tuilagi went off with a pulled hamstring and Owen Farrell damaged a rib the day before Jones names his squad for Australia.
Tuilagi looked devastated as he left the artificial pitch after 22 minutes and Tigers boss Richard Cockerill criticised the surface, which he reckons played a part in the injury.
Cockerill said: “Rugby should be played on grass. For me, artificial pitches are not for rugby union, there should be minimum standards of grass pitches across the Premiership.
“My own opinion is that artificial pitches are not great for the body, but I’m sure you could find an argument either way.”
Tuilagi has been plagued with groin, knee and hamstring problems that have wrecked his season and now his summer could be over as well.
Cockerill added: “It is not ideal. He came off pretty quickly and it does not look brilliant and we will have to assess him over the next couple of days.”
Farrell got whacked after an hour and hobbled back into the line before copping another big hit f r om replacement prop Ellis Genge. The fly-half will be assessed over the next couple of days to see i f he can make Saturday’s final and the tour Down Under. But he looks to have more chance of going to Australia than Tuilagi.
Saracens were 31-0 up at half-time as they capitalised on every Leicester mistake and finished with five tries, including two from Ashton.
But boss Mark McCall wants them to move up a level at Twickenham to claim a European and domestic double after last Saturday’s