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WATCH: ‘I can’t do that, Wiggy will go mad’ – Chris Ashton reveals original idea before settling on Felipe Contepomi-esque celebration

October 8, 2024 /

It was a special week for Leicester Tigers wing Chris Ashton, who announced that he would retire at the end of the current Premiership season.

The 36-year-old started the week with 98 tries in the Premiership, and in true Ashton style, he scored a hat-trick to become the first player to reach the 100-try milestone.

Hat-trick

Renowned for his support lines and poaching abilities throughout his career, it was no surprise that all three of his crossings were courtesy of him being in the right place at the right time to stroll in the score.

He scored number 99 after a deft grubber through from fellow wing Anthony Watson.

He simply had to chase after the ball, collect and dot down with no Exeter Chiefs players near him.

His second of the game, and 100th in the Premiership, was similarly simple as he sped down the touchline with no one in front of him. He managed to celebrate with a fist pump into the air before being engulfed by his teammates.

While Ashton’s trademark celebration over the years has been the ‘Ash Splash’, with the winger doing a swan dive over the line, he had other ideas for his 101st Premiership try.

The winger got to applaud his efforts, similarly to former Los Pumas and Bristol playmaker Felipe Contepomi.

Jimmy Gopperth spun the ball wide to Ashton, who had another easy run in out wide to round off his hat-trick. Once he touched down, Ashton jumped over the railings and into the stands. He proceeded to take a seat amongst the fans and applaud his own achievement.

The celebration was made popular by Contepomi during his time at Bristol back in the early 2000s.

Celebration plans

While the winger settled on the Contepomi celebration, he had another idea in mind but opted against it at the last minute.

“After I got the 100, I was like, ‘if another one comes here I’ll do something!’ I thought leaving (the stadium) would be a step too far; it crossed my mind,” Ashton explained on the BBC’s Rugby Union Weekly podcast.

“I thought if I’m in this right corner, I can go behind the stand, up the tunnel and into the changing rooms and just be done. I thought, ‘how good would that be?!’ That would have been amazing, wouldn’t it?

“This is within a minute of me thinking this through as well, but I thought, no, you know what? Next best…”

Ashton said that he was thinking this all through during the game but decided not to leave the pitch to the changing rooms because Richard Wigglesworth would not be happy.

“I was like, ‘I can’t do that; Wiggy (Wigglesworth) will go mad’. So I just get in the crowd; it’s as good as I can get. I couldn’t find my family, unfortunately, so I just sat with three Leicester fans. I think they enjoyed it!”

Chris Ashton’s 101 Premiership tries breakdown

33 – Northampton Saints
47 – Saracens
6 – Sale Sharks
2 – Harlequins
1 – Worcester Warriors
12 – Leicester Tigers

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