Chris Ashton is cautioning Henry Arundell against turning his back on England at the tender age of 21, asserting that such a decision would be a misstep.
Get your tickets for the 2024 Six Nations with viagogo, the world’s leading ticket marketplace.
The former London Irish sensation recently achieved a Red Rose scoring record by netting five tries on his World Cup debut just 11 weeks ago.
However, weekend reports suggest that Arundell is poised to extend his stay in France, dealing a potential blow to England and putting his international career on pause.
The former London Irish speedster is anticipated to tack on two more years to his current 12-month tenure at Racing 92, effectively making him unavailable for Six Nations selection.
When quizzed about the wisdom of this potential move, ex-England wing Ashton shared his perspective on whether staying in France is a beneficial decision.
“No way. How is that a good thing for a 21-year old player?, said Ashton.
“Henry’s gone from playing on the bench at Irish, Irish going under, gone to a World Cup, gone to Paris where he’s got to learn a new language, playing at a club with a lot of superstars.
“I just can’t see how that is the right thing to be doing right now,” Ashton added, speaking on the BBC’s Rugby Union Weekly podcast. “There are times in your career to be doing that stuff.
“I needed somebody at that age to like properly mentor, spend a lot of time, put a lot of effort into me.
“You need someone who is willing to put a ridiculous amount of time into kids that age.
“I’d like to know how many players there is that are 20-21 who have left their country and become a success?”
Join our Breaking News and Top Stories WhatsApp community
Join our Breaking News and Top Stories WhatsApp community for all the latest news direct to your phone.
50 Greatest British Rugby Players:
#50. Mike Tindall (England)
#49. Scott Quinnell (Wales)
#48. Matt Dawson (England)
#47. Will Carling (England)
#46. Scott Hastings (Scotland)
#45. Jonny May (England)
#44. Finlay Calder (Scotland)
#43. Maro Itoje (England)
#42. Rob Howley (Wales)
#41. Adam Jones (Wales)
#40. Peter Winterbottom (England)