Ashton Happy With Displays
England international, Chris Ashton, says it has been a massive year in his career moving from the heartbreak of the Six Nations to beating Australia in their own back yard.
A year ago Ashton was a relatively unknown quantity in the England side and there were many fans and pundits arguing whether he was good enough to play at the top level of international rugby.
However, the winger has played very well across a number of games as it’s emerged that he is one of the best passers in the England side, a quality runner, good in defence and also that he has the ability to stay calm under intense situations.
Ashton has said that the most recent tour of the Southern Hemisphere has helped him gain experience to a level that he never thought would be possible. He says he is hoping to take this back into domestic rugby as he will now have a little bit of time off before the new season starts.
Getting Better
The only way you get better as a player in sport is to play against good sides and sides that are better than your own team. This is something that Ashton has done over the last year and he says it has added a number of strings to his bow, which he can now use to his advantage.
One of these strings is the fact that he can now read the game much better. He puts this down to playing around quality players who often pointed out situations during matches that he was completely oblivious to.
The Northampton man should now be one step ahead of many players he plays against next year. This is because he will be used to faster paced rugby, which can cause all types of problems if you are playing against a side who likes to slow the pace down. This can create many gaps for a player like Ashton to exploit and score.
Experience
Ashton has said that as well as developing as a player, he has also developed mentally and has a greater deal of experience. He has been away on a foreign tour with his country and he says this is a unique thing, which can help him during his rugby career.
It can prepare him and focus him to stay in the England side for longer. When he plays against the same countries again, he will have a more accurate idea of how they are likely to play and he can use this to get one step ahead of his opponents. This could provide the crucial edge during a very important match against high-class opposition.
Ashton would have also learnt so many things about the way that an England player is expected to behave and go about his personal business. There are many things attached with the privilege of playing for England and he will have the benefit of this for the rest of his career.
Advice
Ashton should be full of confidence and energy ahead of the new domestic season. He is a strong candidate to get on the score sheet during Northampton’s first game and you should take this up if you can find someone who will give you odds.
You may also be able to haggle a special, which would be something like Ashton being in the England team this time next year. The odds for this will be very unpredictable but he looks like a player who will hold down his place if his form and fitness stay good.
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