The appearance of Brian Ashton at Pennyhill has set Twitter tongues wagging

Fans have been giving their views on Twitter after former coach Brian Ashton was seen with the England team at Pennyhill Park yesterday.

Ashton is one of the most revered minds in world rugby when it comes to his attacking philosophy, and has been called upon by many teams, including the All Blacks, to offer his wisdom.

In light of his appearance, this is what some fans said:

https://twitter.com/skillacq/status/1102927143330295808
https://twitter.com/shaftoflame/status/1102920994228973568
https://twitter.com/sharkybathman/status/1102908979221590017
https://twitter.com/PaulWalker1973/status/1102913051223834625
https://twitter.com/LackOfToast/status/1102907664789430276

Smart move by Eddie Jones and England ????https://t.co/T3xPf9lhW3 https://t.co/SS6Is3n8k2

— Simon Austin (@sport_simon) March 5, 2019

It is clear that these fans see Ashton as an underrated and underused asset that England have wisely called up. Eddie Jones has not been averse to calling on a number of people from all walks of life to aid and improve his team. Already this Six Nations he has had visits from the Georgian rugby team and former England Football captain John Terry- an example of the range of external influences he calls upon.

Throughout his tenure as coach, he has used many more.
Although Ashton’s reign as head coach may not be remembered as the greatest, his reputation as one of the most astute minds in the game has remained. In light of England’s most recent performance against Wales at Cardiff, they could benefit greatly from his input.

Jones’ men seemed to lack any attacking potency at the Principality Stadium, and were heavily reliant on their kicking game, which did not get them very far. Although it is unlikely there will be a complete revolution of the team in a fortnight, particularly as England had performed so well up until round three, the former Bath coach can still impart some knowledge.

Jones has persistently said that there is a lot more to come from his England team, and they are still very rough around the edges. Their performance against Wales was clear that there is a lot of work to do, but using the services of someone like Ashton will only help, and the fans clearly agree.