Northern Edition

Select Edition

Northern Northern
Southern Southern
Global Global
New Zealand New Zealand
France France

No place for Chris Ashton as Leicester, Sale name semi-final teams

(Photo by PA)

Thursday evening’s disciplinary hearing reprieve for the red-carded Chris Ashton has come too late for the all-time record Gallagher Premiership try-scorer to keep his place in the Leicester team for Sunday’s semi-final away to Sale.

ADVERTISEMENT

It took a five-hour hearing for Ashton’s sending-off last weekend versus Harlequins to be downgraded to a yellow carded offence, freeing him for selection for Tigers’ trip to Manchester.

However, Richard Wigglesworth has decided to exclude Ashton from a Leicester XV that shows four changes from the match against Harlequins, three in the back line.

Video Spacer

Dallaglio vs Vunipola – Who is the greatest Number 8 in Premiership rugby history?

Video Spacer

Dallaglio vs Vunipola – Who is the greatest Number 8 in Premiership rugby history?

England winger Anthony Watson takes over from Ashton on the right wing, current Test full-back Freddie Steward is named in place of Mike Brown while Scotland’s Matt Scott is chosen ahead of the benched Guy Porter at outside centre.

Wigglesworth has made just a single change to his starting Leicester pack, George Martin chosen at lock ahead of Harry Wells. For Sale, the selection approach was different as four of their five changes following their win over Newcastle have come in the pack.

Related

Their entire front row has been rejigged with Simon McIntyre, Akker van der Merwe and Nick Schonert named in place of benched trio Bevan Rodd, Ewan Ashman and Coenie Oosthuizen, while England back-rower Tom Curry is chosen instead of Sam Dugdale. Out the back, the sole alteration sees Gus Warr restored as the starting scrum-half in place of Raffi Quirke.

SALE: 15. Joe Carpenter; 14. Tom Roebuck, 13. Rob du Preez, 12. Manu Tuilagi, 11. Arron Reed; 10. George Ford, 9. Gus Warr; 1. Simon McIntyre, 2. Akker van der Merwe, 3. Nick Schonert, 4. Jean-Luc du Preez, 5. Jonny Hill, 6. Tom Curry, 7. Ben Curry (capt), 8. Jono Ross. Reps: 16. Ewan Ashman, 17. Bevan Rodd, 18. Coenie Oosthuizen, 19. Josh Beaumont, 20. Daniel du Preez, 21. Raffi Quirke, 22. Sam James, 23. Tom O’Flaherty.

ADVERTISEMENT

LEICESTER: 15. Freddie Steward; 14. Anthony Watson, 13. Matt Scott, 12. Dan Kelly, 11. Harry Potter; 10. Handre Pollard, 9. Ben Youngs; 1. Tom West, 2. Julian Montoya (capt), 3. Dan Cole, 4. George Martin, 5. Cameron Henderson, 6. Hanro Liebenberg, 7. Tommy Reffell, 8. Jasper Wiese. Reps: 16. Charlie Clare, 17. James Cronin, 18. Joe Heyes, 19. Harry Wells, 20. Olly Cracknell, 21. Jack van Poortvliet, 22. Jimmy Gopperth, 23. Guy Porter.

ADVERTISEMENT

LIVE

{{item.title}}

Trending on RugbyPass

Comments

0 Comments
Be the first to comment...

Join free and tell us what you really think!

Sign up for free
ADVERTISEMENT

Latest Features

Comments on RugbyPass

N
NB 11 minutes ago
'Passionate reunion of France and New Zealand shows Fabien Galthie is wrong to rest his stars'

Nice bit if revisioniusm but that's all it is JW.


For your further education, I found the following breakdown of one prominent club's finances in the Top 14 [Clermont].


For Clermont (budget of €29.5 million for 2021-2022) :

- 20% from ticket sales

- 17% from the LNR (includes TV Rights, compensation from producing french internationals and other minor stuff)

- 5% from public collectivities (so you're looking at funds from the city of Clermont, the department of Puy-De-Dôme and the region Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes)

- 4% from merchandising and events

- 3% from miscellaneous

- 51 % from sponsorships and partnerships. They've got 550 different partners. The main ones are CGI, Groupama, Limagrain/Jacquet, Omerin, Paprec, Renault and of course Michelin (not surprising since they're actually the founders of the club).


As you can see nothing comes from the FFR at all. The LNR is a separate entitiy to FFR and their aims frequently do not accord.


It is also why the European breakaway plotted by LNR and PR back in 2013 had nothing to do with the governing bodies of either England or France - and it most certainly did not have their blessing https://www.espn.co.uk/rugby/story/_/id/15331030/jean-pierre-lux-anglo-french-cup-detrimental-european-rugby


And from the horse's mouth [ex AB skipper Sean Fitapatrick] about the comp between Top 14 and Super Rugby:


"The Top 14 in France is probably the best rugby competition in the world at the moment, purely for the week-in, week-out.”


“I think the quality of players. They are bigger, they are faster, they are stronger. Which then carries on into the international game.”

Take it from someone who knows JW😅

290 Go to comments
TRENDING
TRENDING Michael Hooper reacts to Scott Barrett’s controversial late-game call Michael Hooper reacts to Scott Barrett’s controversial late-game call
Search