Quins wing Chris Ashton makes mid-season switch to Worcester Warriors
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Worcester have moved to eradicate their apathy around the try-line with the signing of Harlequins wing Chris Ashton.
The 33-year-old has penned a contract which will run until the end of next season to join Warriors with immediate effect.
Ashton, third in the Premiership‘s all-time try-scorer list with 88, bolsters the back three options for Warriors as the team who have entered their opponent’s 22 more than any other team but have scored the joint-fewest number of tries.
Director of rugby Alan Solomons said the signing of the former England international was crucial at a time when Melani Nanai and Noah Heward are both out with injuries.
“We are pleased to welcome Chris to Sixways. He is a quality, proven international, who is equally at home at wing or full-back,” said Alan Solomons.
“With Melani (Nanai) out for the season and Noah’s (Heward) return being further delayed, the timing could not have been better.
“Chris is the consummate professional and will be a good role model for our younger players. I have no doubt that Chris will make his mark here at Sixways.”
His departure from Harlequins comes after the exit of Paul Gustard as head of rugby last week, to end a ten-month stint with Harlequins.
Ashton’s move to Warriors will reunite him with new head coach Jonathan Thomas, who was part of the Barbarians‘ coaching team when Ashton scored a hat-trick in a record 63-45 defeat of an England XV.
“During that week with the Barbarians I enjoyed working with Chris and it gave me the opportunity to see what an outstanding professional he is,” said Thomas.
“We have a few injuries in the back three at the moment so to be able to bring in a player of Chris’s calibre at this stage of the season is a huge boost for us.
“We have created a lot of opportunities in attack this season but haven’t quite been able to finish those off. Chris has a proven record as a prolific try-scorer at this level so having someone who can be clinical in those critical moments in games is important.”
Ashton scored 20 tries in his 44 Tests – 41 of which he started – between 2010 and 2019, and is a mere four tries away from equalling Tom Varndell’s record number of tries in the Premiership.
