Saturday 14 April 2018 15:39, UK
Former England wing Chris Ashton notched his 22nd Top 14 try of the season for Toulon on Saturday, and it was a marquee effort!
Never in the history of the top domestic league in France has one man scored more tries in a single campaign - the previous record being Napolioni Nalaga's 21 for Clermont set in 2008/09.
Having moved to the south of France in the summer as a double European Cup champion with Saracens no less, Ashton has settled into France rugby in extraordinary fashion.
Two tries against Pau on his debut in August was just the start, as he has notched three hat-tricks against Agen (twice) and Stade Francais, and further doubles against Brive and Lyon.
More tries have come against Clermont (home and away), Racing, Castres, Bordeaux and Montpellier (home and away). Against 10 of Toulon's 13 opponents in France has he struck.
Two weeks ago, it took Ashton just 19 minutes to equal Nalaga's record against the big Fijian's former club Clermont in a crushing 49-0 victory.
On Saturday, it took him just seven minutes to set the new record against Montpellier at the Stade Mayol. And there could still be a maximum of five games left! What an achievement for one of rugby's most lethal finishers.
