Eddie Jones has paid tribute to Chris Ashton’s attitude and desire after naming the winger in a 44-man England training squad for a training camp this week.
Ashton returned to England this summer, joining Sale Sharks, having spent a season in France with Toulon where he broke the Top 14 single season try-scoring record.
The 31-year-old has scored seven tries in the Six Nations, including four in a win over Italy back in 2011 and will now join the squad for the camp which will see the players meet at the Lensbury Hotel on Saturday 4 August.
Jones, who has also called up Saracens flanker Michael Rhodes, said: “Chris is an exceptional player, I think we have seen with his form at Saracens, then at Toulon he has played exceedingly well.
“He’s come back to England because he wants to play for England so he has got the right desire, the right attitude so it will be good to work with him.
“This is a pre-season camp so a lot of our players, particularly the ones who went on the South African tour, have just started training with their clubs so it’s just a chance to get a group of players together to have a chat about the season ahead and look at the important areas in developing the team.
“We haven’t selected everyone. There are a number of players we rested from the tour that we have allowed to continue their pre-season with their clubs.
“This camp is all about individual preparation, it’s about looking to see how we can help each of the players improve, how we can help with their selection for the national team because we have 44 players coming in plus another 15 who are strongly in contention for the Quilter Internationals in November.”
A number of players have been rested after the summer tour of South Africa, but Jones has included three players from England’s Under-20s squad in Gabriel Ibitoye, Jordan Olowofela and Joel Kpoku.
Jones added: “It is an opportunity for them to show us what they have got. We have identified those guys who can potentially play for England in the future so this is a great opportunity for them.” Backs Chris Ashton (Sale Sharks) Mike Brown (Harlequins) Danny Cipriani (Gloucester Rugby) Joe Cokanasiga (Bath Rugby) Elliot Daly (Wasps) Nathan Earle (Harlequins) Owen Farrell (Saracens) George Ford (Leicester Tigers) Piers Francis (Northampton Saints) Gabriel Ibitoye (Harlequins) Alex Lozowski (Saracens) Joe Marchant (Harlequins) Jonny May (Leicester Tigers) Jordan Olowofela (Leicester Tigers) Dan Robson (Wasps) Henry Slade (Exeter Chiefs) Ben Spencer (Saracens) Ben Te’o (Worcester Warriors) Ben Youngs (Leicester Tigers) Forwards Luke Cowan-Dickie (Exeter Chiefs) Tom Curry (Sale Sharks) Jamie George (Saracens) Dylan Hartley (Northampton Saints) James Haskell (Northampton Saints) Alec Hepburn (Exeter Chiefs) Paul Hill (Northampton Saints) Nathan Hughes (Wasps) Nick Isiekwe (Saracens) Maro Itoje (Saracens) Joel Kpoku (Saracens) Joe Launchbury (Wasps) Courtney Lawes (Northampton Saints) Joe Marler (Harlequins) Michael Rhodes (Saracens) Chris Robshaw (Harlequins) Sam Simmonds (Exeter Chiefs) Kyle Sinckler (Harlequins) Jack Singleton (Worcester Warriors) Will Spencer (Leicester Tigers) Elliott Stooke (Bath Rugby) Sam Underhill (Bath Rugby) Mako Vunipola (Saracens) Harry Williams (Exeter Chiefs) Mark Wilson (Newcastle Falcons) Not considered for selection due to injury/ fitness/ other Danny Care (Harlequins) Jack Clifford (Harlequins) Dan Cole (Leicester Tigers) Charlie Ewels (Bath Rugby) Ellis Genge (Leicester Tigers) Jonathan Joseph (Bath Rugby) George Kruis (Saracens) Jack Nowell (Exeter Chiefs) Brad Shields (Wasps) Denny Solomona (Sale Sharks) Manu Tuilagi (Leicester Tigers) Billy Vunipola (Saracens) Anthony Watson (Bath Rugby) Richard Wigglesworth (Saracens)
