Chris Ashton ‘snapped coach’s hand off’ to join Premiership leaders Leicester

02/22/2022

Having gone almost a year without playing competitive rugby, Chris Ashton was happy to find another Premiership employer in February—never mind the current league leaders, Leicester Tigers.

The 44-cap England international has agreed to leave his last three clubs by mutual consent and terminated contracts early at each turn, so it was a surprise when Leicester came sniffing.

It's not as shocking that Ashton was all too happy to join a sixth Premiership outfit by moving to Welford Road, where he's now working under a familiar face in former Saracens team-mate Steve Borthwick.

On one hand, the Tigers head coach has taken a risk in hiring Ashton, who left Worcester Warriors in December after injuries and other setbacks meant he failed to play a minute for the club in almost 11 months.

On the other, Leicester have recruited the third-highest try-scorer in the Premiership's history and an ideal candidate who, even at 34, could provide valuable cover as they charge towards the title.

"I got a phone call from Steve. They were after a bit of cover while [England full-back] Freddie Steward was away and they had a couple of injuries," Ashton said on the most recent edition of the BBC'S Rugby Union Daily podcast.

"So I absolutely snapped his [Borthwick's] hand off. I am so happy I did."

It's been a frustrating couple of years for one of the finest finishers of his generation, with Ashton failing to find any real groove with his last two employers, Harlequins and Worcester.

The speedster left Sarries for Toulon in 2017 and scored 24 tries in 23 league outings for the French side before leaving for Sale Sharks one year later, and his stay at the AJ Bell Stadium was also cut short.

Will Chris Ashton break Tom Varndell's Premiership try record? Let us know in the comments section.

The man with 89 Premiership tries to his record—just three fewer than the league's all-time top try-scorer Tom Varndell—hasn't crossed a whitewash since March 2021, but he's hoping change is on the horizon.

"I've been at home all that time, I've not had good experiences recently. Quins was a tough place to be when I was there, I didn't see what would happen afterward," added Ashton, referring to Harlequins' titanic turnaround in form to win last season's Premiership title after sacking head coach Paul Gustard in January 2021.

"Being at Worcester just didn't play out as I hoped. Having time off, you have self-reflection, all that comes to you and you see the end. I am just so grateful I've got a chance to be in at Leicester."

His Tigers tenure didn't start out as planned after he was sin-binned on debut for Leicester, though it didn't affect the end result as they still beat Northampton Saints 35-20.

Ashton has now played 32 minutes off the bench for his latest (and possibly last) club and has looked his old self at times.

A two-time winner of both the Premiership and Champions—all won during his five-year stay at Saracens (2012-17)—he's hoping this will be the match made in heaven that puts his experience to good use.

"I know the lads there, I know the lads who are coaching there," he added. "It honestly wouldn't have mattered [that they're top].

"I went in and they just wanted to see if I could cover. And from the minute I went in, it's my kind of place. I want to be in there, I want to stay in there. I think previously in that last few clubs, I'm quickly trying to edge out of the door, but this one I could stay until five or six o'clock every day."

The old adage goes that if one enjoys their job, you'll never have to work a day in your life, and Ashton's move to Leicester thus far appears to have provided that which was missing in his recent deployments.

It certainly doesn't hurt that the Tigers are 11 points ahead of second-place Saracens and have still lost just twice this term, hoping to feature in a Premiership for the first time since they last won the title in 2013.

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