Ashton hoping luck changes for Italian job

BRIAN ASHTON insists England are ready for their Italian job tomorrow — and he is confident it will not be a botched mission.

The World Cup finalists, quite simply, have endured a week from hell.

Beaten at home by Wales one minute, then deprived of five players — Mike Tindall, David Strettle, Andrew Sheridan, Lewis Moody and Tom Rees — through injury or illness, Ashton could hardly have worse luck.