Former wing Chris Ashton, has admitted that England’s conservative approach to play seen throughout the Eddie Jones era, would often be ‘frustrating’ for the back-three players. Ashton believes that Jones’ approach halted the progression of exciting wingers, in the push to break into the England team over the years.
Speaking to Gambling Zone, Ashton was extremely candid about his time in England camps and explained the challenges which the wingers faced, under the rein of the now Japan head coach Eddie Jones.
“I’ve been in England training sessions where I wouldn’t touch the ball for the entirety of them.” Ashton said. “How are wingers supposed to be able to make an impact when they aren’t seeing any of the ball in training? There were a number of occasions where wingers were going into games cold and would find themselves in the same situation in a match with so few touches of the ball. I used to get so frustrated about it.
“The kicking style and set-piece style that was so successful under Eddie Jones, a style that worked for so many years until the end, was seen as the norm for wingers. It was a case of do your job and take the opportunity when it comes, but that style doesn’t make the most of talented players like Ollie Hassell-Collins who need touches of the ball and confidence from their coaches.
The Leicester Tigers wing is one such player who has fallen out of the recent England fold. After being awarded his test debut by Steve Borthwick in the 2023 Six Nations, Hassell-Collins made just two appearances before being released back to Welford Road. The exciting wing has not been seen in the England set-up since, and missed the plane for the 2023 Rugby World Cup.
“Players like him play in teams that move the ball from wing to wing, which is how they have an impact on the game. They don’t do it through kick-chasing or kick-competing, so it limits the number of wingers that England have been able to trust to play that style of rugby.”
Following England’s victory over Italy, he explained how Steve Borthwick’s style will bring the best out of England’s wingers and concluded: “From what I saw against Italy, it looks like England are trying to move away from that approach under Steve Borthwick. It looks like we’re trying to play, and we went through some good phases. That will help the wingers.”