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Gaffney: Ashton has snubbed Saracens
Chris Jones, Evening Standard15 Feb 2008
Saracens director of rugby Alan Gaffney has fired a broadside at England head coach Brian Ashton for ignoring his club's players. He accused Ashton today of prematurely dumping Andy Farrell on to the Test scrap heap and snubbing the entire Saracens first-team squad. He also claimed that he had never spoken to Ashton about his players or selection policy.
Sarries travel to Newcastle on Sunday for a Guinness Premiership match that highlights Gaffney's grievances.
For, while Newcastle supplied 11 players to the England teams that played in the Six Nations and Saxons matches against Italy last weekend, Sarries did not have anyone involved in either match and were not represented among the 64 called up for training squads.
Gaffney believes Farrell still has lots to offer England but accepts there may be no way back following his injury-hit World Cup campaign at the end of last year.
"It just seems really odd that we cannot get anyone into the top 64 in England," Gaffney said. "When we played Bath recently we had 12 English qualified players and looking back on the World Cup selection process I feel that may have been Faz's last hurrah, no matter what he did on the pitch. I just hope I am misreading the situation.
"Newcastle are rightly proud of their contribution to the England cause. We would like to contribute as well but we aren't being given the chance.
"When Andy Robinson was England coach, I had a lot of contact with him and he would come to the club to discuss our players. But under the new management, I have only seen [forwards coach] John Wells a couple of times. That's it. I don't honestly know why players such as Richard Haughton, Adam Powell and Nick Lloyd are not being considered."
A niggling shoulder injury will rule Lloyd out of Sunday's game.
England captain Phil Vickery has made a swift recovery from the stomach bug which forced him out of the win over Italy and will play for London Wasps at Bath tomorrow.
An injury doubt over Lawrence Dallaglio means Wasps are delaying their final back-row nominations but Joe Worsley and James Haskell will start.
England scrum-half Andy Gomarsall is confident he will be fit for the clash with France next weekend despite missing Harlequins' home match tomorrow with his former club Worcester.
Gomarsall suffered a back spasm during Sunday's 23-19 win over Italy but the 33-year-old said: "As things stand, I'm not going to be fit for Worcester but it's not a major injury."
London Irish have Mike Catt fit again and able to take a place on the bench for the home game with Leicester on Sunday, which offers centre Shane Geraghty the chance to press his England claims. Paul Hodgson is fit to return after knee problems.
