Chris Ashton revealed yesterday that he considered returning to rugby league this season when he was struggling to play his way into Northampton’s first team.
The prolific wing, who was named in England’s senior squad for the first time on Wednesday, signed a new two-year deal to stay at Franklin’s Gardens yesterday, but only four months ago his future was clouded in uncertainty. Northampton picked Paul Diggin ahead of him on the right wing for the first two games of the season, leading Ashton, 22, to wonder whether he had made the right decision by crossing codes from Wigan Warriors in 2007.
“With the way the season started here, it crossed my mind that I might have to go back across [to rugby league],” he said yesterday. “But I had to stick with it and it’s amazing the way things can change in a few months. To where I am now, it’s a bit unreal.”
Since regaining his place, Ashton has scored 15 tries in 16 appearances for Northampton this season and is the leading tryscorer in the Guinness Premiership with nine.
Riki Flutey, who was restored to England’s senior squad on Wednesday, will miss Brive’s Heineken Cup game with Leinster in Dublin tomorrow. The centre took a knock to a shoulder and knee during last weekend’s win over Albi and will be rested this weekend.
Advertisement
David Attoub will today learn whether he has been found guilty of gouging Stephen Ferris, the Ulster flanker, during the Heineken Cup pool four tie at Ravenhill on December 12. Attoub, the Stade Français prop, was cited and charged with assaulting Ferris in the mêl?e that resulted in Julien Dupuy, his team-mate, being banned for 23 weeks after an appeal.
Attoub’s case was adjourned from Wednesday night in London after four hours, time taken up largely with evidence from photographic experts. Attoub claims that pictures of him allegedly poking fingers into one of Ferris’s eyes were doctored and inconclusive.