And surprisingly for a man who bagged 49 tries in 85 Tests from 1984 to 1996, Underwood’s biggest gripe is not Ashton’s poor strike-rate in attack but his dodgy defence.
Unless head coach Stuart Lancaster takes the risky decision to pitch in two rookies against France on Saturday, Ashton is set to be handed a start on the wing almost by default.
The cupboard is not yet bare for Lancaster but there are only scraps inside, with injury ruling Marland Yarde, Christian Wade, Ben Foden and Henry Trinder out of the Six Nations opener in Paris.
Ashton’s position has come under scrutiny since the 2011 World Cup as a steady stream of tries has turned into a few drops. After posting 15 in his first 17 Tests, the Saracens wing has scored just three in his past 20 internationals.
Is it a coincidence the drop-off has come since Lancaster took over the coaching reins from Martin Johnson? Underwood does not believe so, saying the England coaching staff must share the blame with Ashton for coming up with a gameplan which does not suit his talents.
Underwood, however, is far more concerned by Ashton’s tackling and feels he has become a liability in defence.
“England haven’t found a way of getting the best out of him in attack. When he first came into the team he was allowed to roam about the pitch and he scored a lot of tries, but that’s now changed,†said Underwood.
Article source: http://www.irishtimes.com/sport/rugby/international/fiona-coghlan-named-sportswoman-of-the-year-1.1634779
Under-par Chris Ashton should be dropped by England
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