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Video - After conceding 63 points, Jones attempts to explain England's heavy Twickenham loss
By Tom Webber
Chris Ashton made a statement in front of England head coach Eddie Jones by scoring a hat-trick of tries in a 63-45 win for the Barbarians at Twickenham on Sunday.
Despite being ineligible for international duty while playing for Toulon, Ashton was open in the days leading up to the match about his desire to play for his country again.
The wing, who won his last England cap came in 2014, broke the Top 14 try-scoring record in his first season in France and he continued that prolific form by crossing three times on home soil.
Ashton got his first with a trademark dive in the third minute when Toulon team-mate Josua Tuisova handed him the ball on the line, and he quickly made it two by getting on the end of his own chip over Elliot Daly.
He completed his hat-trick as early as the 25th minute, Finn Russell gathering Victor Vito's stunning offload to set up the former Saracens player as the Barbarians ran riot.
Vito touched down twice, while Russell, Tuisova, Semi Radradra, Sitaleki Timani and Greig Laidlaw also crossed for the brilliant Baa-Baas.
Daly, Piers Francis (2), Zach Mercer, Joe Launchbury and Jonny May managed tries for England - who have now lost four games on the spin - in a high-scoring contest.
Next up for Jones' squad is a three-Test tour of South Africa, starting with the series opener in Johannesburg on June 9.
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Latest Comments
Has there ever been a Red and Black you don't rate GP over the years? However to be fair most of your favs have had the goods.
Go to commentsI'm not very hopeful of a better change to the sport. Putting an Aussie in charge after they failed for two decades is just disgusting. What else will be brought in to weaken the game? What new rule changes will be made? How will the game be grown?
Nothing of value in this letter. There is no definitive drive towards something better. Just more of the same as usual. The most successful WC team is getting snubbed again and again for WC's hosting rights. What will make other competitions any different?
My beloved rugby is already a global sport. Why is there no SH team chosen between the Boks, AB's, Wallabies and Fiji? Like a B&I Lions team to tour Europe and America? A team that could face not only countries but also the B&I Lions? Wouldn't that make for a great spectacle that will also bring lots of eyeballs to the sport?
Instead with an Aussie in charge, rugby will become more like rugby league. Rugby will most likely become less global if we look at what have become of rugby in Australia. He can't save rugby in Australia, how will he improve the global footprint of rugby world wide?
I hope to be proven wrong and that he will raise up the sport to new heights, but I am very much in doubt. It's like hiring a gardener to a CEO position in a global company expecting great results. It just won't happen. Call me negative or call me whatever you'd like, Robinson is the wrong man for the job.
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