Ben Ryan asks: Can Ashton adapt to Sevens in time?

Chris Ashton and Alex Goode’s interest in being included in Great Britain’s Sevens squad for the 2016 Olympics Sevens has been welcomed by Ben Ryan.
But England‘s Sevens head coach has doubts over whether elite 15-a-side players could realistically be included given the logistical problems they face.
For starters, the Rio de Janeiro event follows the Home Nations’ summer tours, when Test players are normally expected to rest.
England are scheduled to travel to Australia, while Wales go to New Zealand, Ireland visit South Africa and Scotland tour New Zealand and Japan.
Then there is the issue of whether 15-a-side players with little or no Sevens experience could be expected to slip seamlessly into that environment.
Ryan said: “I think it’s great that 2016 is on the radars of international players, even ones who haven’t played Sevens before. London 2012 has probably whetted their appetite, which is fantastic.
“But while the timing looks great, you’ll have the 2015 World Cup finishing the previous October, then the Six Nations and then the summer tours, so it would be very tricky for someone to go straight into an August Olympics after that.
“Then you have to think about how people adapt. I’ve never coached Chris Ashton so I’ve no idea of his ability to quickly learn Sevens, but it is a different game and every country has gone down the road of employing specialists.
“How would someone like Chris Ashton perform in Sevens? I just don’t know. You’d be a bit of a fool if you didn’t look at the possibilities. At the same time, I’ve got guys in the programme who, in four years time, will be there or thereabouts for GB. We’ve got a specialised squad for very good reasons.”
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