Chris Ashton ends rugby career with red card as Leicester lose to Harlequins
Chris Ashton ended his rugby career in red card ignominy - sent off on his final Leicester appearance at Welford Road.
The former England wing had broken the all-time Premiership try record on his previous outing, scoring a hat-trick against Exeter.
Three weeks on jubilation turned to despair as his shoulder caught the head of Cadan Murley to leave referee Ian Tempest with no other option.
“That’s been the story of Chris’ career, always headlines,” said Leicester boss Richard Wigglesworth. "He had a wry smile afterwards, as if to say ‘only me’.
“But you feel for him. We know he’s not that sort of player. He’s had a chequered past but I think this was an accident.”
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Ashton’s early bath capped a largely miserable day for the champions who were never ahead in their last game before they go to Sale for next Sunday’s play-off semi-final.
Wigglesworth: "That’s been the story of Chris’ career, always headlines” (David Rogers/Getty Images)Unless disciplinary chiefs rule sending off sufficient the 36-year old, with a rap sheet which includes gouging and biting, can kiss goodbye to Tigers’ post-season.
Leicester were off from the 13th minute when Quins threw 11 players into a maul and were denied only by Cam Henderson dragging down the maul.
It earned the big lock a yellow card and the Londoners a penalty try and although Julian Montoya levelled two minutes later from another drive that was as good as it got for the home side.
Danny Care is is held up over line by Harry Potter (Getty Images)Murley scored soon after for Quins when Louis Lynagh broke to put Josh Bassett over, only for the Leicester-bound wing to hand the Premiership’s top try scorer his 15th of the campaign gift-wrapped over the line.
Leicester’s frustration grew when Mike Brown appeared to be taken out in the air by Lynagh, only for Tempest to disagree with the TMO’s yellow card interpretation and absolve the Quins replacement of any blame.
When Ashton was then sent from the pitch the boos rang out around the packed stadium.
'Ash the Splash' scores one of his 20 tries for England in trademark fashion“You’ve got to feel sympathy for Chris,” Quins boss Tabai Matson admitted. "That’s not a great way to go out. But there’s very few fairy tales in sport.”
Ashton leaves with 101 Premiership tries to his name, having scored 13 in 27 appearances for Tigers, the sixth top-flight club of his 16-year career in union.
To their credit 14-man Leicester did not go quietly. Tommy Reffell worked his way over three minutes from time and Jimmy Gopperth’s conversion cut the deficit to three points.
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Jasper Wiese is tackled by Marcus Smith (Getty Images)When Joe Marler was then sent to the sin bin Tigers scented blood. Their forwards won two penalties and rumbled to the Quins line.
With a sell-out 25,849 crowd baying for them to complete the comeback, they burrowed over only to lose the ball and, with it, the game.
LEICESTER - Tries: Montoya, Reffell. Cons: Pollard, Gopperth. Pen: Pollard.
QUINS - Tries: Penalty, Murley. Con: Smith. Pens: Smith 2.
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