[urlhttp://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/rugby-union/18984560[/url

Speaking about Saracens' new stadium (for which they incidentally secured £8m in naming rights; are you listening Stobarts?) which has an artificial pitch, he mentioned his mates at Widnes who were complaining about friction burns. He joked "...I think it's just league lads are a bit soft, aren't they?"

League lads are soft compared to Kiwi dwarfs ay Chris?

I noticed they have a video of Ashton swan diving as he score a try for England. It's a shame they didn't show him running away from Richard Moore when he went the full length for Trinity against Wigan a few years back.

Still the comment sounds tongue in cheek to me.

If true what he said what an idiot and plonker

Not a problem in Union though as you have to have quick movement to get friction burns.

I'm sure his tongue was firmly in his cheek as he said it.

It's a legitimate point, the game has gone soft.

Good lad Chris



Is Mathers ok yet or scarred for life?

Mathers knee-jerk comments make him prime candidate to take over from Wilkin is if ever steps down from the union. Both whingers of the highest order.

Ashton should just shut up though.

That video always makes me laugh! (Can be found by typing "richard moore wigan wakefield into a certain well known video website

)

You see him coming across at full back and then when he realised who it was who'd broken through he loses interest and just changes direction and runs away instead. He can't call anyone soft after that pathetic 'attempt'.

Chris Ashton

I'll have to get my old ashton head on a stick avatar back out.

Hes' just having a laugh isn't he? He failed at RL really (worst defensive FB I've ever seen) but done well at RU. Good on him.

I thought you were exagerating but you are being kind by saying running opposite direction. It looks like a video game is being played and you select the change player at the wrong time and the player runs somewhere else.

Back on thread I think it was tongue in cheek, he normally praises league in interviews. Also he hasn't done too bad for himself in Union.

Good on him, you need a good dose of sarcasm now and again - lad did very well for himself.

I must confess though RU is not designed for that surface.

Plenty of bites here!

Ashton wouldn't have tackled him anyway, he's defence was horrific. Though his attack and support play was very good for such a poor Wigan side.

Why would he be worried about being tackled on a plastic pitch. He's a RU back and we know they only get tackled twice a game!

Ashton was a very good winger for Wigan and never a full back, ever!
Why Noble played him there is anyone's guess, after one game he should have been moved back to the wing.
Ashton playing game after game dreadfully at full back has always said more about Noble than Ashton as far as I'm concerned.

As far as I'm concerned he was taking the out of that view - the view by some Rugby fans that League is a watered down soft version of Rugby - and not taking a pop at League.

I'd bet if you heard the comment in person it would be evidently tongue in cheek.

chill people he's just having a joke. very tongue in cheek

He only played about 3 games on the wing for the first team and he was absolutely dreadful there. He was quick but was never any good in the defensive line, dealing with kicks or positioning himself.

I laughed.

What he should have said is

"League fans are a bit precious"

Or...

'My face has got fatter'

Clearly a joke...but clearly it must take a real hard man to harass a chambermaid in a hotel.