Axe Chris Ashton now says World Cup wing Dan Luger

World Cup winner Dan Luger believes Chris Ashton has used up all of his nine lives for England, claiming his presence in the side is damaging Stuart Lancaster’s credibility.
Ashton started all three Autumn Tests and registered one try against Argentina but there was no swan-diving panache – according to Luger it was more ugly duckling.
Luger, who scored 24 tries in 38 England appearances, said: “It’s time to rest Chris Ashton, he’s been putting in sub-level performances for a while now.
“I just don’t understand why he is still in the squad. He burst onto the scene a few years ago but has really not made the improvements he ought to.”
Ashton scored 15 tries in his first 17 caps but that form now eludes him and his dreadful grubber kick, soon after half-time against New Zealand, just as England were mounting pressure, seemed to sum up his confused state of mind.
Luger, who played for Harlequins, Saracens, Perpignan and Toulon in a sparkling, if injury-hit career, adds:
“Chris has not got that X-Factor anymore. He does not break tackles, I can’t remember seeing him break a tackle for a while.
“With Marland Yarde on the wing (against Australia), that’s what we had been missing. In the back three we have not had that X-Factor that’s been needed.
“If Ashton is the best option we’ve got, then that’s worrying. He can’t defend.
“Sometimes a rest or time away from the game can help players improve. There is a competition for places and they then have to earn their place back.
“I don’t know what message it sends out to the team by continuing to pick Ashton. Stuart Lancaster is not afraid to put boys in there and try positions, so I don’t know why he isn’t doing it with Chris.”
England’s 30-22 defeat to New Zealand – the All Blacks’ narrowest victory all year – demonstrated that Lancaster has a forward pack that strikes fear once again but a backline that does not.
Twenty matches remain before their 2015 World Cup opener and while Lancaster’s centre pairing of choice may well be Billy Twelvetrees and Manu Tuilagi, they are yet to start a Test together.
Should Tuilagi miss the Six Nations, they would have a maximum of 15 matches together before the World Cup and Luger fears England will be too undercooked in 2015 to repeat the feats of 2003.
“The England squad are decent, it is full of a lot of youngsters, and we are in a building stage at the minute,” Luger added. “The squad that won the World Cup had been together for three or four years. It’s tough not to have that time together. It will be tough to win the World Cup, it might just be a bit too soon for them to win.
“They are missing guys already through injury, like Tuilagi, so it’s not great preparation.
“There is still two years to go, but it is tough in international rugby, it’s a fine line between winning and losing. We lost three Six Nations and other big games in the build-up but we had chance to learn. It’s those sort of experiences you can’t buy. There is not a great deal of games coming up, so they need to make the most of it.
“But they do have the quality in midfield, with Tuilagi and Twelvetrees, it’s whether or not they have enough time together between now and then.”
PIPPA FIELD