Chris Ashton’s chances of a swift England recall have suffered another blow after Sale Sharks confirmed their winger will be ineligible to play any rugby before the national head coach, Eddie Jones, names his autumn squad.
Ashton had hoped to play in his new club’s European Challenge Cup game in Perpignan on 12 October but has now been told his seven-week suspension must run until the following week.
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Initially the Sharks had argued that a planned friendly against Sale FC should count as one of the seven games Ashton would miss following his untimely ban for a red card in an acrimonious pre-season fixture against Castres. As a consequence of a lengthy injury list sustained in France, however, the Sale FC match was cancelled and Ashton must now sit out the Perpignan trip as well.
With England’s autumn squad due to be announced on 18 October it leaves the former Toulon, Northampton and Saracens winger with no opportunity to impress Jones.
The Sharks’ director of rugby, Steve Diamond, has also confirmed the club will not be appealing against Ashton’s ban, despite their continuing belief that the player was acting in self-defence. In the event of a failed appeal there is a risk of an increased sanction from a low-end to a mid-range offence.
Wasps are also cursing their luck on the eve of the newly titled Gallagher Premiership season after losing three players, including the influential Jimmy Gopperth, to long-term injuries. Gopperth, a crucial cog in Wasps’ midfield, could miss the entire season after undergoing a knee reconstruction operation to repair an ACL injury sustained in a pre-season fixture against Connacht; this will rule him out for between six and nine months. The front-row forwards Jake Cooper-Woolley and TJ Harris have also undergone surgery to repair ruptured biceps and both players will be sidelined for at least the next month.
Exeter, in contrast, have received encouraging news regarding Harry Williams. The England tighthead hurt an ankle in the Chiefs’ win against Munster but the injury is not serious and the club are hopeful he will be available for their opening fixture against Leicester.