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Worcester latest on 'unavailable' Ashton ahead of Diamond arrival

(Photo by Jan Kruger/Getty Images)

The last thing ex-England winger Chris Ashton could have imagined when he joined Worcester last January was that Steve Diamond, the coach with whom he had a major falling out with at Sale in February 2020, would arrive in the door at the Warriors as their new lead rugby consultant.

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It is a position that will see Diamond act as a go-between between rookie head coach Jonathan Thomas and seasoned director of rugby Alan Solomons, and one of the first items likely in his in-tray when he officially starts work next Monday will be a resolution to the frustrating situation where it is rumoured that Ashton has been suspended by the club following an alleged bust-up with management. 

The supposed acrimony is a far cry from ten months ago when Ashton was wheeled out for a media briefing on just his second day at Worcester having opted to leave Harlequins, even though he had a deal with the London club through to the end of the 2020/21 season. 

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“Some other players might not necessarily be in that mindset, they will stick with it and probably not play until the summer. I’m not that way. I have only got a short period of time left in my career and I need to take advantage of that. I didn’t want to miss the next six months of playing time when I could be helping elsewhere,” explained Ashton about his eagerness at the time to switch to Worcester. 

Now, though, he has found himself stuck in a similar-type limbo, contracted through to the end of the 2021/22 season but not featuring in the team. It was nine weeks ago when Worcester boss Thomas originally dismissed there was an issue with Ashton, a rumour that had emerged via Andy Goode on The Rugby Pod. 

“Rumour has it, I have heard on the grapevine he [Ashton] ain’t happy, Worcester ain’t happy with him, he is going to be leaving there soon,” claimed Goode at the time. “I genuinely have heard that.” Thomas, though, quickly dismissed this at his weekly media briefing. “Who was it with the rumour? Andy Goode, I’ll have to give him a call after this,” quipped Thomas.

“Goodey likes to say ‘I’ve heard’ or ‘I have got a source’, he likes that one. He can just give me a call, he has got my number, he can call and ask me. He hasn’t done that. I have just hugged him [Ashton] on the training field, so what do you think?”

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That hugging, though, appears to have stopped. It was at the end of October when Sportsmail reported that legal procedures were underway and the 34-year-old’s contract could be terminated after just four appearances for the club – all of them in February and March shortly after he joined.

Having earned the last of his 44 England caps in February 2019, Ashton has had his issues with injury at Worcester but they haven’t confirmed that his latest ongoing absence is injury-related. The club’s local beat newspaper reporter asked on Tuesday: “And my weekly question about Chris Ashton, will he be available this weekend?”

“No, Chris is unavailable for selection,” said Thomas, who was asked later in the briefing by RugbyPass did he at least have a message for Worcester supporters who must be looking at the Ashton situation with a sense of bemusement that they are not getting answers. “Unfortunately there is not. I just can’t comment. He is just unavailable for selection at this time and I can’t comment any further on that matter.”

Adding to the intriguing situation at Worcester is the imminent arrival of Diamond, the ex-Sale director of rugby who hurriedly offloaded Ashton to Harlequins nearly two years ago. It’s difficult to imagine then working together again given that Diamond explained in March 2020: “There is no situation, just a disagreement on how we want to play the game. He wants to do it one way, I want to do it another and that is it, so end of story.”

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J
JPM 28 minutes ago
Forget Ireland, the All Blacks face the real alpha of Europe next

Unfortunately you don't know anything about French rugby, coaches and players but still making a lot of assumptions and judgements to push your prefabricated and simplistic point of view that Dupont is manipulating everything and is a bad guy. I am not a NZ rugby specialist and wouldn't dare make such theories about what is going on within the ABs team. Therefore my advice to you is to do like Dupont and stay humble when you don't know all the background of the issues !!!


Firstly if you knew a bit of Galthié, he is not the type of coach who is going to ask advice to his players and even his captain about team selection. He is as stubborn as you...


Second Ramos has played a lot of times as 10 with Toulouse and therefore Dupont (in particular when Ntamack is injured and unfortunately it has often happened recently and for long periods). He even played 10 during the last 3 games of the 2024 6N and this was far better performance than the first two games with Jalibert as 10.


Thirdly Jalibert lacked of respect to a La Rochelle player so your theory is once again out.


Fourth as I explained to you Galthié went for a 6-2 bench and Jalibert can only play 10 which doesn't fit that plan. Furthermore as 15 Buros is better under high balls than Ramos and everybody is prepared for a tactical kicking game.


So you can blame Galthié for a lot of things (as you clearly enjoy doing at the end of your post and you should be very happy as an AB fan) but certainly not Dupont. Sorry once more for your conspiracy theory.


And don't worry about potential disharmony in the French team; they are excellent mates around their captain. Jalibert is well known in the French rugby circles to have not a strong character (and we saw that in the WC quarter finals as he is very nervous in any decisive international game unlike Ntamack and Ramos as for his late penalty kick vs England this year).


In conclusion enjoy the game tmrw night. It is good that the ABs are very upset; we should watch a great game of rugby. I hope for running rugby and not too much kicking. With 5 key players injured on our side (Ntamack, Baille, Atonio, Cros and Penaud) and 2 on your side I and various French fans see you as favourites. I obviously hope for another result.


If you are interested you can read a good article in the Guardian on the subject of France-NZ games.

92 Go to comments
K
KB 30 minutes ago
The 'one difference' between Boks and the back-to-back All Blacks

Consistency hasnt been there they have many great players SA were also not unbeaten in the 2023 WC - NZ were in 2015 WC McCaw and Carter Nonu and Smith - SA did not have those Marque players in those postions in 2019 or 2023 - I wouldnt rank them ahead of the 20I5 ABs - They clocked up 60 points against France in the QF - Furthermore I do not believe for one moment SA won 2023 fairly no way - they were so favoured it became obvious that behind the scenes SA the nation bought the title - Their last 3 matches were won by a solitary point there were many contentious decisions that went their way that it became obvious it wasnt coincidence - Sport has been hijacked by a satanic cult just as is Politics

Some players coaches officials and sponsors are involved - they know who they are - its called Freemasonry - any sport that allows betting is corrupt - its not all about money either for these parasites its also about control - Lots of American NFL players have spoken openly about games being scripted - Football is also rigged Referees have been caught on film showing freemason hand signs - The 95 RWC final ranks as the highest and most obvious attempt at cheating There was no way SA were going to allow NZ to gate crash Nelson Mandelas reunification party - NZ were so good they had to posion almost the entire team to get a 3 point win - a Hollywood Movie ( theres your Red Flag ) was made about SAs triumph called Invictus


William Henley wrote a poem called Invictus


It starts


Out of the night that covers me BLACK ( All Blacks ) as the pit from pole to pole, I thank whatever GODS maybe for my unconquerable Soul ...( Olan says INVICTUS is an evil Malevolent entity who corrupted the Titans ... this is Mandelas double meaning speech ( hes a fraud ) - of thanks for helping overcome SA's adversary NZ - There is only ONE true God Yahuah - Only a false god would be complicit in Cheating Corruption and Harming others to win a RWC for a sick and sinful Nation ) the poem ends with


I am the CAPTAIN of my soul


SA will forever bear the stain of guilt and disgrace over their involvement in poisoning the ABs a day before the 95 RWC Final

10 Go to comments
C
CO 1 hour ago
Forget Ireland, the All Blacks face the real alpha of Europe next

I cannot believe that you don't think the French rugby team coach and captain are not discussing putting Jalibert on the bench in favour of Duponts club teammate that doesn't even play at 10.


This is a terrible, massive insult to a 10 and I'm sure Dupont would also be very enraged if benched for a player that doesn't even play halfback.


A good captain would've insisted to the coach that it was an idea of madness and either select Jalibert or replace him with another 10 if you want him to be reserve.


Jalibert may not be the world's finest tacklers but that's often not a tens main strength that the loose forwards and second five cover. An intercept pass is never great but they happen.


When any player is playing for his club then it's club first, respect doesn't need to be shown to opposition players simply because they're internationals.


Who exactly are you claiming Jalibert hasn't respected? If it's Toulouse international players then it doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure this bench demotion out.


The outcome of selecting Jalibert to the bench and he then throwing his croissants out the window of the team bus immediately prior to playing the Allblacks is a disaster that will be team disharmony as any team mates of Jalibert are in a state of anger and revolt so a performance that will be sub optimal against a team that is thirsting for revenge against France.


I don't know about you but the Allblacks are very upset they've lost twice in a row to France and want to put out a statement performance so this preparation by Galthie of creating havoc looks to me like a coach that is clueless.

92 Go to comments
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