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Tue 1 Dec 2015 | 02:33
Schalk Brits brilliant stepping sets up Chris Ashton try for Saracens

6
Comments

Chris Ashton scored twice as Premiership champions Saracens thumped Worcester Warriors 48-18 in the London Double Header at Twickenham on Saturday. Sarries scored six tries, but this one stood out due to the outstanding footwork from hooker Schalk Brits.

While Saracens scored a number of good tries, as did Worcester at the death, this effort caught the eye as 34-year-old Brits showed he hasn't lost those magic feet he made his name with.

Charlie Hodgson did well to be on hand in support, and then arch poacher and finisher Ashton was there to score the try, and wasn't able to resist the (in)famous Ash Splash celebration.

With the conversion, Hodgson became the first player to reach 2,500 Premiership points, a top accolade for the 35-year-old who recently announced that he will retire at the end of the season.

Saracens director of rugby Mark McCall was pleased for tryscorer Ashton, who scored his first of the season. "We're all delighted that Chris scored. Like a good centre forward in football, Chris is one of those great wingers who judges everything that he does on scoring.

"If he doesn't score then he's not satisfied, which I think is a pretty good trait for a winger to have. In actual fact, his first six games for us this season have been as good as anything that he's produced in his whole time at the club."

Springbok Brits scored a try of his own, so you can see that and all the other highlights in the full highlights wrap on page two. See more of Brits in the Related Posts

Posted By: Grant Constable

6 Comments

  • reality
    9:22 AM 05/12/2015

    The problem is that 'making their life' is obviously an inevitable part of working there. I mean, you can't just work somewhere and not live there and make a life for yourself. The fact is that Brits was offered a big contract to play for an English team which he accepted, and that's perfectly fine, but accepting a contract shouldn't be enough to say, "Ok, now he's living and working in England like a real English person, so he should be allowed to play for England".

    Even in soccer you have to have a passport from that country, so at least there's some proof that you have a strong link there, but in rugby it's just 3 years of having been paid to work there. I just think it's madness. It just means national teams will continue to poach South Africans and Fijians.

  • stroudos
    2:24 PM 03/12/2015

    For Brad Barritt, Lesley Vainikolo, Hendre Fourie and Thomas Waldrom I'd agree with you in principle.

    For Schalk Brits (if it weren't a moot point), Samesa Rokoduguni and Nathan Hughes, I'd drop those principles like a shitty potato.

  • reality
    9:18 PM 02/12/2015

    Am I the only one who thinks it's embarrassing to have someone not even from your country and whose only link is a work contract act as one of the 15 representatives of your country in international rugby? I know it happens in pretty much every national team now, but I'd prefer to have my countrymen represent the country even if they're not as good as the South African import. I know it's not very politically correct because we're all equal and we should all have the same opportunities and all that crap, but, if something's not popular it doesn't mean it's not right.

  • rugbydump
    7:27 AM 02/12/2015

    Precisely what we were saying in the office today. He's only been capped 10 times by the Springboks, which is a real travesty. But with Bismarck and John Smit always ahead of him, and Strauss a quality (and bulky) player too, he was always overlooked. Moving to the UK wouldn't have helped a great amount either.

  • stroudos
    6:41 AM 02/12/2015

    Yeah, good point. Got a bit carried away...
    Just seems a monumental shame that a bloke with amount of crowd-pleasing talent doesn't get more international action.

  • stroudos
    6:07 PM 01/12/2015

    THAT WAS LIQUID RUGBY.
    For facepalm's benefit mostly ;)

    Surely someone must have discovered an English grandmother for this bloke by now? That's if he hasn't been here long enough to qualify in residency anyway? I mean if Meyer won't give him a game for SA, is he perhaps ready to consider that option?

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