Brian Ashton (rugby union)
Birth name | William Brian Ashton | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Date of birth | 3 September 1946 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Place of birth | Leigh, Greater Manchester, England | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Rugby union career | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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William Brian Ashton MBE (born 3 September 1946) is an English rugby union coach and former player. He has been head coach of the England and Ireland national teams.
Youth
Ashton was born 3 September 1946 in
Playing history
After leaving school, Ashton started working for
Although offered professional terms by various rugby league clubs, Ashton moved to
Ashton was in the England squad which toured Australia in 1975, playing in one game, but was never capped – the closest he came was as an unused replacement on 15 March 1975 against Scotland. He also played representative rugby for Lancashire, England North and the Barbarians.
His friend Dick Greenwood – England international and later father of Will Greenwood – persuaded Ashton to extend his career by playing in France for AS Montferrand, and then in Italy with Roma and Milan. As a result, he speaks Italian.[2]
Coaching career
Ashton started at Leigh college 1980–81 and turned the side into a formidable team that rucked the ball at speed due to a lack of size in the pack. He was persuaded in 1981 to take up the position of history teacher and rugby master by then assistant-
Ashton met
Working under Jack Rowell, he helped establish Bath as the dominant team in English rugby for a decade to the mid-1990s.[citation needed] He took over as head coach from Rowell in 1994 and led Bath to their last domestic trophy in 1996.
Ashton then had a brief and unsuccessful spell as National Coach of
Ashton was Clive Woodward's assistant with England from 1998 to 2002 and was the RFU's National Academy Manager from 2002 to 2005. In this role Ashton played a key part in the launch of England Rugby's National Academy system, creating the Junior and Senior National Academies to develop the most talented players at England A, Sevens, Under 21 and Under 19 level.[citation needed] Ashton also coached some of these feeder teams, including England A.[6]
Ashton returned to Bath as head coach at the start of 2006 but was appointed as England attack coach from May 2006 to assist head coach
In December 2006 Robinson was dismissed, and Ashton was appointed England head coach.
England's
England finished second in the 2008 Six Nations, losing games to Wales and Scotland. On 16 April 2008 Martin Johnson was appointed England team manager with effect from 1 July 2008, with Ashton leaving the post immediately. Ashton was offered the role of head coach of the RFU's National Academy but declined this position.[11]
He was appointed a
In September 2008 he was appointed director of coaching[12] at the University of Bath and also successfully coached Oxford University to victory in the 2008 Varsity match.[13]
In June 2010 Ashton returned to his old club Fylde to become a coaching consultant to the senior squad. He said he is prepared to contribute as much time as he can spare to assisting Head Coach Mark Nelson in the development of Fylde's senior squad. Fylde won National League 2 North 10/11 and Ashton signed for Fylde for the 2011/12 season as Technical Director.[14]
Ashton has previously said, "My main strength is as a coach. I see my job as improving players individually, to do the technical work with them, and also to establish the environment, the framework, in which the players operate." Ashton's philosophy is that the backs comprise three creative forces (the scrum-half, the fly-half and the inside-centre) and four penetrative finishers (the outside- centre, the two wings and the full-back).
Teams coached
Team | Role | Date from: | Date to: | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|
Stonyhurst College | Rugby coach | 1980 | 1988 | |
England | Assistant coach | 1985 | 1985 | Tour of New Zealand[15] |
King's School, Bruton | Rugby coach | 1987 | 1994 | |
Bath Rugby | Assistant coach | 1989 | 1994 | |
Head coach | 1994 | 1996 | ||
Ireland | Head coach | 1996 | 1998 | |
England | Assistant coach | 1998 | 2002 | Managed England A and Churchill Cup team
|
National Academy Manager | 2002 | 2005 | ||
Bath Rugby | Head coach | 2005 | 2005 | |
England | Attack coach | 2006 | 2006 | |
Head coach | 2006 | 2008 | took team to final of 2007 Rugby World Cup |
International matches as head coach
Note: World Rankings Column shows the World Ranking England was placed at on the following Monday after each of their matches
Matches (2007–2008) | |||||||
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Match | Date | Opposition | Venue | Score (Eng.–Opponent) |
Competition | Captain | World Rank |
2007 |
References
- ^ a b c d Ashton's long road to Paris, via Leigh and Tyldesley The Guardian – 19 October 2007
- ^ Ashton eager for Capello meeting BBC Sport – 20 December 2007
- ^ College's England rugby links Lancashire Telegraph
- ^ Stonyhurst College's Rugby World Cup Connection Archived 24 March 2008 at the Wayback Machine stonyhurst.ac.uk
- ^ Ashton announces resignation from Ireland team Archived 17 December 2007 at the Wayback Machine Irish Examiner
- ^ Brian Ashton to coach England A Archived 20 September 2007 at the Wayback Machine RFU press office – 27 January 2005
- ^ England appoint Ashton to top job BBC Sport – 20 December 2006
- ^ Robinson is forced out by England BBC Sport – 29 November 2006
- ^ Ashton handed 'indefinite' deal The Guardian – 20 December 2007
- ^ Ashton reconfirmed as English national coach BBC Sport – 20 December 2007
- ^ Rugby Football Union – England Rugby – RFU Management Board statement[permanent dead link]
- ^ "Team Bath / Ashton becomes Director of Coaching". Archived from the original on 19 September 2008. Retrieved 19 September 2008. Team Bath
- ^ "Oxford hold off Cambridge for narrow victory". ESPN scrum. Retrieved 19 February 2019.
- ^ "Ashton signs for Fylde | Latest News". Archived from the original on 30 April 2011. Retrieved 19 April 2011. Fylde Rugby Club News
- ^ Brian Ashton – profile Eurosport