Trimble: Ashton spoiling job not my role
The two wings come face to face at the Aviva Stadium tomorrow evening as Ashton’s England arrive in Dublin intent on securing a first Six Nations title and Grand Slam since 2003.
Trimble, making his first appearance of the championship, with Keith Earls moving from the wing to replace Luke Fitzgerald at full-back, will be charged with preventing Ashton from adding to his six try tally in the campaign to date.
And it will be same again a fortnight later when 26-year-old Trimble’s Ulster travel to Milton Keynes to face Ashton’s Northampton Saints in the Heineken Cup quarter-final, leaving the Ireland wing with plenty to ponder how best to stop the exuberant former rugby league try machine three and a half years his junior.
“Obviously he’s scored a lot of tries, he’s causing a lot of havoc for defences, he’s a quality player,” Trimble said. “He’s tough, he’s hard, he’s fast, he’s elusive. He’s that sort of player you’ve got to keep an eye on. At the same time England have 14 other players, 14 other threats.
“You just keep your eyes on what’s coming through, whoever is going to be a threat and keep your wits about you. Certainly I’ll be doing everything I can to nullify that threat. He’s a quality player.”
Trimble does not see his selection as a direct attempt to counter Ashton’s strong-running physicality, but he accepted a high level of stamina would be required to keep tabs on the Englishman.
“I don’t think it was a factor in selection,” he said. “I just want to bring in a lot of elements into my game. If that’s one of them, I just want to be as physical as possible. There’s 14 other guys playing for us as well, I’m not going to be man-marking Ashton. If you concentrate too much on Ashton you’ll get broken elsewhere. But definitely he is a threat and I think the rest of us just have to have our wits again.”
Trimble was correct to point out Ashton is hardly the first outside back to come off his wing and plough some inside channels.
“I remember looking at New Zealand, the way New Zealand play. Dougie Howlett is a guy who always works hard and gets on the inside of any break. I suppose you’re living off the good play of other guys. You anticipate we’re going to make a line break out wide and get on the inside.
“It’s not rocket science. It’s just working hard for your team-mates, it’s just the attitude more than any specific lines of running. Just the attitude to get there first is definitely something I do.”
Ireland fans will not, however, be treated to an Ashtonesque swallow dive should Trimble cross the line in try-scoring glory.
“I’m going to save that for Milton Keynes I think,” the Ulsterman said, for now just happy to be back in the Ireland reckoning having suffered a broken bone in his hand on the eve of the Six Nations.
“I had hopes to be involved and this is the week I get involved, the camp has been very frustrating for myself. The week’s completely different whenever the team is announced and you’re not involved, you’re just holding bags and being a dogs body, just trying to get the team ready, that’s the way it should be. For me now just getting involved is pretty exciting.
“I felt like I’d been playing good rugby and I felt fairly confident. This season has gone reasonably well for me. I’d still like to crank it up a little, but as far as my form has been, I’ve been pretty pleased. I was quite confident coming into camp and then obviously I broke my hand at the end of January. It was just unfortunate timing. Once you’re out it’s quite difficult to get back in there so I’m delighted to get the chance now.
“It (selection) always seems to be a struggle. Hopefully, I’d like to think that will even itself out in the long run. If you struggle to be selected for a while, Declan (Kidney) is the sort of guy if you’re playing well, he’ll pick you. If I get a chance this weekend, it’s up to me just to nail that and that’s my intention, just to get it right and nail the number 11 shirt.”
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