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Chris Ashton's rumoured landing spot

PA

With Sale Sharks announcing the unexpected departure of Chris Ashton with immediate effect this morning, conjecture is mounting as to where the former England winger will land.

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Ashton joined the Sharks in July 2018 after completing only one season at Toulon, his motivation to relaunch his England career and being closer to his family shaping his decision.

But the 32-year-old wing, who has 44 caps, is on the move again in the latest twist to a well-travelled club career.

“Sale and Chris have reached a mutual agreement regarding the termination of his Sale Sharks contract and he will leave the club immediately,” a Sharks statement read.

“Sale would like to thank Chris for his efforts while at the club and wish him and his family all the best for the future.”

The hot favourites to land Ashton are West London club Harlequins, who are said to be in the market for a winger on short notice.

Ashton also still owns the controversial property at the heart of the Saracens salary cap saga, so a move to back to the capital makes a certain amount of sense for the winger and his young family. The residence in Harpenden is valued at over £1,500,000.

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Ironically, Ashton’s rumoured move looks on the face of it like a reversal of the Marland Yarde transfer in 2017. Then it was Yarde who dramatically left the club to join Sale Sharks, again mid-season and with ‘immediate effect’.

Ashton won the last of his 44 caps against France at Twickenham a year ago but has only been picked five times by Eddie Jones.

Press Association/additional reporting RugbyPass

WATCH: The guys round up all the Guinness Six Nations and Premiership action. They discuss the shenanigans at the breakdown in England v Ireland among others. We also hear from Brad Shields on his injury and his quest to get back into Eddie’s England squad.

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H
Hellhound 35 minutes ago
South Africa will beat England at a canter

You forget that this was the 3rd Test between the AB's and the English this year. They were prepared and they knew how to keep NZ quiet. The Boks is not NZ.


The Boks is a whole other level. You overestimate England and underestimate the Boks. Clearly you haven't really looked at the teams. Besides the Irish games earlier this year, the Boks have mainly used experimental sides, even against the AB's.


Now they have chosen their best team available. They have targeted this game. The Boks mean business. Man for man, this Bok team is better. In strategy and player abilities there is no comparison and they are outmatched.


There isn't just monster strength, but unreal speed. In broken play there is currently no better team as well as defensively, not to even talk about the attacking threat, both from front and the back.


I'd say read between the lines, see what everyone is seeing, but clearly you are wearing blinders and is also putting too much emphasis on an AB's team the Boks beat twice this year, the same AB's that beaten England 3 times this year.


When Rassie gets serious, the players become machines. There is no stopping them. That bench is loaded with players that is fast, strong and have exceptional skills. This is a team not many teams will face before the 2027 WC, because the Boks doesn't use their best between WC's in one game. All experimental.


You will be proven wrong on Saturday and then you will wonder how you could have been so wrong. This Bok team means serious business. They came to conquer and not just by a close score. They want to demolish and they will. This England team at most is a 60 min team. Against the Boks that just won't cut it

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H
Hellhound 51 minutes ago
South Africa will beat England at a canter

Not bizarre, but needed. Everyone usually lifts their game against the Boks. Now instead of facing reality, they prefer to live in the past and look hopefully toward the score of the WC semi, hoping they can recreate that result and by some miracle snatch a victory.


It's better than the alternative knowing what is going to happen. Especially looking at the experimental squads the Boks put up against the Wallabies in the RC, not using their best team. That same Wallabies beat them last week.


Now the Boks isn't using an experimental squad. They put out as close to the strongest team the Boks have available at the moment. That must scare the pants off of them. If an experimental squad can destroy the Wallabies, what would the strongest team be able to do to the English?


Instead of sinking into dispear, they prefer to hope that their players can match the Boks. Even though they know what is coming. The English are scared and they won't show it.


Now imagine how Wales must feel knowing they are up next weekend? They don't even have the dubious record of at least close losses like the English. It's a complete nightmare for these 2 countries and rightly so.


The Boks usually take the pedal of the medal post WC's, but not this Bok team. They are better than the WC winning Boks of both '19 and '23. They are stronger up front. They are faster at the back. They can hit front and back. In broken play they are the most dangerous team. They have the best defence and attack also scoring the most tries.


In a way I feel sorry for both the English and Wales. Only those with blinders on expects a close game. Looking at both teams man to man, strategy to strategy, play to play, they are so outmatched it would be a joke if it wasn't so serious. We need the NH to be strong and we need the gap to become closer in rugby so the game stay exciting because runaway scores sometimes is fun, but it doesn't bring as much joy as a close game won.

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