Welcome back, Mr Ashton

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/rugby-union/45246509

What a guy.

I am trying to figure out which one of Ashton and Cipriani is winning the race to sabotage their own International careers. Way to go boys. Way to go.

My apologies, Mr Ashton. It seems you didn't punch anyone. https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/rugby-union/45257485

Well at least he's moved on from letting his opponent run past him then trying to drag them down from behind

It says a lot about the culture in rugby when an in play incident like a tip tackle carries a far heavier sanction than a deliberate non-play violence like punching.

It likely will be quite a significant ban if the red card is upheld given his previous bans for violent conduct.
If he doesn't play till October its increasingly hard to see how he gets into an autumn test squad.

What a goose.

If you chose not to pick a player who picked up a ban for some kind of foul play then you would be struggling to get 15 players out. Sam Warburton's tip tackle in the RWC looked far worse than this, but no one would accuse him of being a 'dirty player'. I think in the modern game with the increasing strict tackle rules and the use of slow motion replays, bans are just going to be part and parcel of team selection. I do agree though that indiscretion at International level should be taken into account, which would by and large excuse Hartley (Ireland fish hooking incident aside) and Ashton. I think Ashton has enough experience to still make the 6 nations squad without the need for him to play in the Autumn internationals, although as a Sale fan I hope that any ban for this incident which was fairly low level is minimal.

Sharkey06 wrote:If you chose not to pick a player who picked up a ban for some kind of foul play then you would be struggling to get 15 players out.  Sam Warburton's tip tackle in the RWC looked far worse than this, but no one would accuse him of being a 'dirty player'.  I think in the modern game with the increasing strict tackle rules and the use of slow motion replays, bans are just going to be part and parcel of team selection.  I do agree though that indiscretion at International level should be taken into account, which would by and large excuse Hartley (Ireland fish hooking incident aside) and Ashton.  I think Ashton has enough experience to still make the 6 nations squad without the need for him to play in the Autumn internationals, although as a Sale fan I hope that any ban for this incident which was fairly low level is minimal.

You're not seriously putting Warburton in the same bracket as Ashton & Hartley!

He got 7 weeks Sharkey, which is at the lower end of the scale of what it couldve been. His long history of foul play counted against him in being able toget a reduction, as it has Hartley.

In terms of making unselectable its not just that he has a habit of getting carded and banned for violence in itself (which is problematic) but in this specific case because he will miss the start of the season and simply not be ready when the AIs begin.

He wasnt exactly first name on the team sheet as it was. Now hes banned untill about 2 weeks before the first AI its hard to see how he could get included in the squad. He probably wont start his first club game post ban and the would be straight into a training camp.

That doesnt mean he can never play for England again, just its very hard to see how he can be viable option for the Autumn tests....certainly the first one.

Had the ban been for punching he probably wouldnt have got more than 3 or 4 weeks, which wouldve given him time.

Gooseberry wrote:It says a lot about the culture in rugby when an in play incident like a tip tackle carries a far heavier sanction than a deliberate non-play violence like punching.

It likely will be quite a significant ban if the red card is upheld given his previous bans for violent conduct.
If he doesn't play till October its increasingly hard to see how he gets into an autumn test squad.

What a goose.

While I understand the sentiment behind this, I'm guessing that historically tip tackles have caused more serious/ longer term injury than punches have in rugby in general...? Although a tip tackle is barely ever (if ever) deliberate or with the intent to cause injury, when it does occur, it's far more likely to cause serious injury than a punch. I'm just guessing that this is the reasoning behind the length of the ban...

Seems a bit harsh when you compare with Cips. Assault a police woman but carry on playing. React to something on the field and do a tip tackle and get 7 weeks. But he should know better for sure.

hugehandoff wrote:Seems a bit harsh when you compare with Cips. Assault a police woman but carry on playing. React to something on the field and do a tip tackle and get 7 weeks. But he should know better for sure.

Assault covers a very wide range of behaviour and it is best to trust the law to deal with it appropriately rather than to second guess.

From what Diamond has said he does feel that Ashton was hard done by, but these two events are not comparable.

Gooseberry wrote:He got 7 weeks Sharkey, which is at the lower end of the scale of what it couldve been. His long history of foul play counted against him in being able toget a reduction, as it has Hartley.

In terms of making unselectable its not just that he has a habit of getting carded and banned for violence in itself (which is problematic) but in this specific case because he will miss the start of the season and simply not be ready when the AIs begin.

He wasnt exactly first name on the team sheet as it was. Now hes banned untill about 2 weeks before the first AI its hard to see how he could get included in the squad. He probably wont start his first club game post ban and the would be straight into a training camp.

That doesnt mean he can never play for England again, just its very hard to see how he can be viable option for the Autumn tests....certainly the first one.

Had the ban been for punching he probably wouldnt have got more than 3 or 4 weeks, which wouldve given him time.

What the Beeb notes is that the ban is from matches not training, so that he will be able to take a full part in England training sessions.

"Sam Warburton's tip tackle in the RWC looked far worse than this"

Warburtons was a tip tackle that occurred in the act of a tackling a player in open play, wrong and penalisable but going by his record, accidental. Ashton intentionally picks the player off the ground in a break in play and throws him on his head.

Catch a grip!!!!

True but theres a camp september which is right in the middle of his ban. Banned players are not usually taken to them. He then has one ECC game prior to the match squad get together which will be his first comeptitive rugby in 6 months. I just dont see how he gets in the gets in the matchday squad from there, short of a huge injury crisis.

Thats even before you consider the impact of continued ill discipline on Jones' desire to select him at all.

Eddie Jones 2016 following an incident that he didnt get discplined for :

I didn’t like what Ashton did. I thought it was unsportsmanlike and that is something he needs to get out of his game

He's been banned twice since (to add to his 5 previous bans). For a winger that a pretty atorcious record.

Pete330v2 wrote:"Sam Warburton's tip tackle in the RWC looked far worse than this"

Warburtons was a tip tackle that occurred in the act of a tackling a player in open play, wrong and penalisable but going by his record, accidental. Ashton intentionally picks the player off the ground in a break in play and throws him on his head.

Catch a grip!!!!

He should appeal on a technicality then, if it occurred during a break in play, it wasn't a tackle, just general thuggery.

WELL-PAST-IT wrote:

Pete330v2 wrote:"Sam Warburton's tip tackle in the RWC looked far worse than this"

Warburtons was a tip tackle that occurred in the act of a tackling a player in open play, wrong and penalisable but going by his record, accidental. Ashton intentionally picks the player off the ground in a break in play and throws him on his head.

Catch a grip!!!!

He should appeal on a technicality then, if it occurred during a break in play, it wasn't a tackle, just general thuggery.

Good point.