Ashton’s coming home

[Peat]

That said, Ashton is a proven try scorer at test level and Solomona has a bit a way to go to prove himself as a test player.

A generous label for a man who managed 1 every 5 over his last three years as an international. May, Watson, Daly, Yarde and Nowell all run hotter than 1 in 3. And I don't think its all that harsh to say that when a player stops doing something at international level for two years, the proof is no longer there that they can do it, particularly in a position like wing where players regularly have hot spurts then stop looking like internationals.

And I don't think this any of this is harsh. I think it's a fair representation of just how completely ineffectual he was post 2011. Maybe he'd be better than some of the wingers in the England set up - but the guys we're comparing him to, it's like asking whether its better to have a cat or a dog vomit on your shoes. It's a debate you never want to be meaningful.

Might as well hand out recalls to Tom Wood and Alex Goode too.

I thought I was pretty clearly comparing Ashton to Solomona.

I’m not suggesting he’s any better than 5th/6th choice at best (and TBH I’d forgotten Roko) and at no point did I suggest recalling him.

You called him a proven try scorer at test level - that's the bit where I'm comparing him to proven try scorers at test level.

[pandion]

Ashton has suffered from being picked internationally when not in form. It's a real issue England has that other sides don't get hung up on. Look at Savea as an example. Red hot and the best in the world to can't get in the side.

[Banquo]

Ashton has suffered from being picked internationally when not in form. It's a real issue England has that other sides don't get hung up on. Look at Savea as an example. Red hot and the best in the world to can't get in the side.

Tru dat, we are not ruthless enough; then again, our well of top quality isn't as deep as NZ. Savea has been sidelined for a long while now and is moving to Toulon.

[Peat]

Ashton has suffered from being picked internationally when not in form. It's a real issue England has that other sides don't get hung up on. Look at Savea as an example. Red hot and the best in the world to can't get in the side.

Tru dat, we are not ruthless enough; then again, our well of top quality isn't as deep as NZ. Savea has been sidelined for a long while now and is moving to Toulon.

I feel like its not all that difficult at all to think of players getting test nods while badly out of form in all the other countries that aren't as deep as NZ either. Jamie Roberts and Alex Cuthbert, Gordon D'Arcy and Rob Kearney... Genia's got the nod a few times while badly out of form... this is just off the top of my head too. I'm pretty sure there's a ton of examples in other international sports as well.

Besides, I don't recall all the shouts about how Ashton was badly out of form as he piled on 19 tries in 26 games for Sarries.

[Lizard]

Savea wasn’t even badly out of form. He turned up looking unfit, which is a bad move with Reiko Ioane, Waisake Naholo and Ben Lam breathing down your neck.

[Banquo]

Ashton has suffered from being picked internationally when not in form. It's a real issue England has that other sides don't get hung up on. Look at Savea as an example. Red hot and the best in the world to can't get in the side.

Tru dat, we are not ruthless enough; then again, our well of top quality isn't as deep as NZ. Savea has been sidelined for a long while now and is moving to Toulon.

I feel like its not all that difficult at all to think of players getting test nods while badly out of form in all the other countries that aren't as deep as NZ either. Jamie Roberts and Alex Cuthbert, Gordon D'Arcy and Rob Kearney... Genia's got the nod a few times while badly out of form... this is just off the top of my head too. I'm pretty sure there's a ton of examples in other international sports as well.

Besides, I don't recall all the shouts about how Ashton was badly out of form as he piled on 19 tries in 26 games for Sarries.

....but we do tend to hang on to players too long, I really don't care if others do as well.

[pandion]

Tru dat, we are not ruthless enough; then again, our well of top quality isn't as deep as NZ. Savea has been sidelined for a long while now and is moving to Toulon.

I feel like its not all that difficult at all to think of players getting test nods while badly out of form in all the other countries that aren't as deep as NZ either. Jamie Roberts and Alex Cuthbert, Gordon D'Arcy and Rob Kearney... Genia's got the nod a few times while badly out of form... this is just off the top of my head too. I'm pretty sure there's a ton of examples in other international sports as well.

Besides, I don't recall all the shouts about how Ashton was badly out of form as he piled on 19 tries in 26 games for Sarries.

....but we do tend to hang on to players too long, I really don't care if others do as well.

You only need to pick out of form players if no one else is in form.

[Banquo]

I feel like its not all that difficult at all to think of players getting test nods while badly out of form in all the other countries that aren't as deep as NZ either. Jamie Roberts and Alex Cuthbert, Gordon D'Arcy and Rob Kearney... Genia's got the nod a few times while badly out of form... this is just off the top of my head too. I'm pretty sure there's a ton of examples in other international sports as well.

Besides, I don't recall all the shouts about how Ashton was badly out of form as he piled on 19 tries in 26 games for Sarries.

....but we do tend to hang on to players too long, I really don't care if others do as well.

You only need to pick out of form players if no one else is in form.

Meaning?