Ashton for IC

First topic message reminder :

Many great wingers have been converted to IC/2nd 5/8th when they lose the raw finishing ability on the wing.

With the lack of options in England and the one-dimensional nature of encumbent option Manu Tuilagi, should Lancaster borrow from the Wayne Smith book of tricks and convert Chris Ashton to a 12?

He is no stranger to the heavier trafficked routes, accustomed to creating space for those around him from his league days, and to scoring many tries by joining the line at this position. He is quick off the mark, a strong defender, bulky enough to carry, hold up the ball and hit a ruck, and has that immaculate sense of rugby vision that allows him to be "at the right place at the right time". Possibly he might need to tweak his kicking game and work on his long pass, but then so did Ma'a Nonu.

Worth a thought, surely.

The only thing Ashton would be tracking at IC is dirt...





Seriously though, its an awful idea, please try it

i can see him revolutionising ic play like he did with wing play

Just out of interest if Foden isa no longer a FB option for England then he can all but kiss his lions chance goodbye already.

I think it's only natural after Sean Lamont's great success that inferior wingers with poor try rates should follow, of course it makes sense that Ashton should move into the centre because quite frankly that's what every winger should be doing.

Look, what England desperately need is someone talented with vision in the centers. Years of Tindall and Tuilagi's and Banahan have hampered the attempts to move from 10 man rugby and join the new era.

Unless ENG want to be left behind the likes of the resurgent Wales and even creativity of the new Scottish approach, and limp slowly into irrelevance with South Africa only lingering as some kind of prehistoric relics to the past era, then it's essential this kind of idea is taken seriously.

If you can think of other, creative and proven options for ENG then I'm all ears.

anotherworldofpain wrote:Look, what England desperately need is someone talented with vision in the centers. Years of Tindall and Tuilagi's and Banahan have hampered the attempts to move from 10 man rugby and join the new era.

Unless ENG want to be left behind the likes of the resurgent Wales and even creativity of the new Scottish approach, and limp slowly into irrelevance with South Africa only lingering as some kind of prehistoric relics to the past era, then it's essential this kind of idea is taken seriously.

If you can think of other, creative and proven options for ENG then I'm all ears.

Deporting itinerant Kiwis would be a start.

Peter Seabiscuit Wheeler wrote:Cant kick, cant pass, cant tackle?

Perfect model for an England 12....

Spot on. Leave him on the wing for goodness sake as that's the only place for him.

If you're looking for a good centre then look no further than Luther Burrell. He looks the real deal.

Jimpy wrote:

anotherworldofpain wrote:Look, what England desperately need is someone talented with vision in the centers. Years of Tindall and Tuilagi's and Banahan have hampered the attempts to move from 10 man rugby and join the new era.

Unless ENG want to be left behind the likes of the resurgent Wales and even creativity of the new Scottish approach, and limp slowly into irrelevance with South Africa only lingering as some kind of prehistoric relics to the past era, then it's essential this kind of idea is taken seriously.

If you can think of other, creative and proven options for ENG then I'm all ears.

Deporting itinerant Kiwis would be a start.

But who would hold the teetering economy together then?

anotherworldofpain wrote:

Jimpy wrote:

anotherworldofpain wrote:Look, what England desperately need is someone talented with vision in the centers. Years of Tindall and Tuilagi's and Banahan have hampered the attempts to move from 10 man rugby and join the new era.

Unless ENG want to be left behind the likes of the resurgent Wales and even creativity of the new Scottish approach, and limp slowly into irrelevance with South Africa only lingering as some kind of prehistoric relics to the past era, then it's essential this kind of idea is taken seriously.

If you can think of other, creative and proven options for ENG then I'm all ears.

Deporting itinerant Kiwis would be a start.

But who would hold the teetering economy together then?

I don't know, but one thing I do know, is we've already got plenty of Antipodean bar staff.

http://www.google.co.uk/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=uk%20demographics%20work%20permit%20by%20industry&source=web&cd=11&ved=0CEAQFjAAOAo&url=http%3A%2F%2Fons.gov.uk%2Fons%2Frel%2Flms%2Flabour-market-trends--discontinued-%2Fvolume-114--no--10%2Fforeign-labour-in-the-united-kingdom--current-patterns-and-trends.pdf&ei=TyRTUI-IOsK2hQe9sYDoCA&usg=AFQjCNFhpY72rTsNVd-HnzU23Wcmi38v8g

The three main occupations were nurses and
carers (19.9 per cent), software professionals (19.5 per cent) and
managers and proprietors in other service sectors (12.8 per
cent).

Clearly this study pre-dates the enormous influx of foreign professional rugby players. But still...

Im quite shocked to see Foden so readily thrown on the scrap heap...

Brown and Goode maybe the challengers...which i love to see..but Foden is the man with the shirt.
Even out of form he was still strong under the high ball, strong in defence and carried the ball back well...so even out of form he is solid.

Now Im not saying that Brown or Goode cannot take the shirt...they look classy operators and i would be happy with any of them...but lets not just disregard Foden so quick.

If anything...moving players around...Goode was a FH...a big lad, creative...why not move HIM to 12...?

Looseheaded wrote:

Comfort wrote:12. Banahan
13. Ashton

Now theres a centre partnership with power, offload ability and the awareness to track the breaks/half breaks and pick up the offload and score straight down the middle.

English midfield prayers answered.

I actually think that could be a functional centre partnership...

Last time I noticed it seemed that Banahan had de-bulked to go for a wing position.

GeordieFalcon wrote:Im quite shocked to see Foden so readily thrown on the scrap heap...

Brown and Goode maybe the challengers...which i love to see..but Foden is the man with the shirt.
Even out of form he was still strong under the high ball, strong in defence and carried the ball back well...so even out of form he is solid.

Now Im not saying that Brown or Goode cannot take the shirt...they look classy operators and i would be happy with any of them...but lets not just disregard Foden so quick.

If anything...moving players around...Goode was a FH...a big lad, creative...why not move HIM to 12...?

Think it might happen after injuries mid game this AI. Well, not so much think as see it as a possible and intriguing, though unfortunate to the injured player, scenario

Mortlock did a great job moving in from the wing to centre when he lost his extra bit of pace, no reason why Ashton can't do the same...

This is the most ridiculous suggestion to have survived longer than 30 seconds on this forum.

England have plenty of untried 12s. Ashton actually operates well on the wing. What are you trying to do to the team AWOP?!

None of your qualifiers in the premiership at 12 would be as awful as some 12s that I've had to watch Scotland churn out. But Ashton could be.

I think it needs to go to a poll!

I voted yes because this is an internet forum and has no bearing on real life whatsoever.

Surely we should be pushing for Tom Croft to be picked at 12, perhaps with Dylan Hartley at 10.

Start your own thread then!!!