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Former England wing Chris Ashton has left Sale Sharks with immediate effect, the Premiership club have announced.
The 32-year-old leaves the club mid-season in a sudden unexpected departure, having scored four tries in nine appearances for the Salford-based club this season.
Ashton did not feature in last Friday’s 23-17 away victory over Gloucester, and a shock club statement issued on Monday morning confirmed his immediate exit.
It read: “Sale Sharks can today announce that Chris Ashton will leave the club with immediate effect.
“The club and Chris have reached a mutual agreement regarding the termination of his Sale Sharks contract and he will leave the club immediately.
Show all 99 1 /99Rugby in 2019 - in pictures Rugby in 2019 - in pictures 1. Saracens vs Sale - 4 Jan The year kicked off with reigning Premiership champions Saracens knocked off at Sale as the Sharks claimed yet another high-profile victim at the AJ Bell Stadium.
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Rugby in 2019 - in pictures 2. Exeter vs Bristol – 5 Jan Meanwhile Exeter Chiefs edged a tight affair against Bristol Bears to remain top of the Premiership table where they would remain until the end of the season.
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Rugby in 2019 - in pictures 3. Saracens vs Glasgow - 19 Jan Saracens record their second victory of the season over Glasgow Warriors to join the Scottish side, Leinster, Munster, Ulster, Toulouse, Edinburgh and Racing 92 in the quarter-finals of the Champions Cup, making them the soul representatives of the Premiership left in the competition.
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Rugby in 2019 - in pictures 4. Ireland vs England - 2 Feb The Six Nations got underway with a bang in February as England recorded a rare victory against the odds in Dublin, with Manu Tuilagi returning to the starting line-up for the first time in more than four years. He would go on to feature heavily throughout the year.
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Rugby in 2019 - in pictures 5. England vs France - 10 Feb England continued to strengthen their credentials for the title with a demolition job on France, with Jonny May scoring one of the fastest hat-tricks in international rugby.
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Rugby in 2019 - in pictures 6. Wales vs England - 23 Feb But Wales stopped Eddie Jones’s side in their tracks with victory in a brutal encounter in Cardiff, with Warren Gatland’s men triggering one hell of a party in Cardiff.
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Rugby in 2019 - in pictures 7. Scotland vs Wales - 9 March Wales made it four from four in week four as they laboured their way past Scotland at Murrayfield, giving them a shot at the Grand Slam.
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Rugby in 2019 - in pictures 8. Wales vs Ireland - 16 March And with victory over a surprisingly subdued Irish side, Wales clinched the third Six Nations Grand Slam of the Warren Gatland era, in what was to be his final championship before leaving at the end of the year.
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Rugby in 2019 - in pictures 9. England vs Scotland - 16 March The Six Nations had one more shock in store as England raced out to a 31-0 lead over Scotland, only to find themselves 38-31 down going into the final minutes. A late George Ford try spared them the ignominy of defeat, but it did not spare their blushes.
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Rugby in 2019 - in pictures 10. England Women vs Scotland Women - 16 March Meanwhile England Women wrapped up a Six Nations Grand Slam with a powerful performance over Scotland at Twickenham to spark wild celebrations.
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Rugby in 2019 - in pictures 11. Leinster vs Ulster - 30 March The post-Six Nations lull did not last long as Europe kicked back into gear, with Leinster sneaking an all-Irish derby quarter-final to knock out Ulster and keep their title defence alive.
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Rugby in 2019 - in pictures 12. Saracens vs Munster - 20 April Saracens meanwhile came through a controversial semi-final against Munster that took place in a half-empty Ricoh Arena in Coventry and against the backdrop of Billy Vunipola’s controversial Instagram comments, for which he was warned by club and country.
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Rugby in 2019 - in pictures 13. Saracens vs Leinster - 11 May In what many billed as the ultimate European final, Saracens battered Leinster into submission to reclaim the Champions Cup.
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Rugby in 2019 - in pictures 14. Saracens vs Exeter 1 June The Allianz Park side doubled up three weeks later as they defeated Exeter Chiefs in what was regarded as the greatest Premiership final ever witnessed, securing their status as the dominant club side in the northern hemisphere. Little did we know it at the time, but eyebrows were already raised.
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Rugby in 2019 - in pictures 15. England Women vs New Zealand Women 14 July England came up agonisingly short in the Women’s Super Series in the United States as the Black Ferns cemented their status as the world’s dominant women’s side with victory in the four-team round robin.
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Rugby in 2019 - in pictures 16. England Women vs New Zealand Women - 14 July The Black Ferns added the Super Series to their status as world champions.
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Rugby in 2019 - in pictures 17. South Africa vs Australia - 20 July The Rugby Championship kicked off with a shorter format as teams played each other just once with one eye on the World Cup, with the Springboks beating the Wallabies.
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Rugby in 2019 - in pictures 18. New Zealand vs South Africa - 27 July Rassie Erasmus’s side sent out a real statement by securing a draw with the All Blacks in Wellington, which paved the way for them to have a shot at the overall title.
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Rugby in 2019 - in pictures 19. Australia vs New Zealand - 10 August The Wallabies then went and stunned New Zealand in Perth with their biggest ever winning margin after Scott Barrett picked up a red card, which triggered much debate among the rugby world over where the line had been moved to in contact with the head.
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Rugby in 2019 - in pictures 20. Argentina vs South Africa - 10 August The victory in Perth allowed South Africa to wrap up the title without playing in Argentina, but they smashed the Pumas to ensure they finished the shortened tournament as undefeated champions and went into the World Cup as favourites.
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Rugby in 2019 - in pictures 21. New Zealand vs Australia - 17 August Having awoken the bear the week before, Australia felt the full wrath of the All Blacks as they suffered a 36-0 whitewash.
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Rugby in 2019 - in pictures 22. England vs Ireland - 24 August The Rugby World Cup warm-ups meanwhile were playing out in Europe where England recorded an emphatic 57-15 victory over Ireland that exposed real problems in Joe Schmidt’s squad in a sign of things to come.
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Rugby in 2019 - in pictures 23. RWC opening ceremony - 20 October The Rugby World Cup opened in a sea of colour and lights in Yokohama as Japan 2019 got underway on 20 September.
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Rugby in 2019 - in pictures 24. RWC Japan vs Russia - 20 September The hosts opened their account with a solid if unflattering victory over Russia, though every second was cheered on by a passionate fanbase that would come to define what the entire tournament was all about.
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Rugby in 2019 - in pictures 25. RWC Japan-fans - 20 September The Japanese public got behind Jamie Joseph’s side like never before as rugby fever swept across the nation.
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Rugby in 2019 - in pictures 26. RWC Australia vs Fiji - 21 September Reece Hodge, right, was lucky to get away with a dangerous tackle on Peceli Yato
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Rugby in 2019 - in pictures 27. RWC New Zealand vs South Africa - 21 September The All Blacks got back on course with a convincing victory over the Springboks in what would prove their toughest pool game by a country mile. Business as usual, or so we thought...
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Rugby in 2019 - in pictures 28. RWC Ireland vs Scotland - 21 September Ireland also got back to their usual ways with a hard-fought victory over Scotland, which left Gregor Townsend’s side at risk of going out of the pool as they knew they would likely face a do-or-die clash against the Japanese.
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Rugby in 2019 - in pictures 29. RWC England vs Tonga - 22 September England opened their account with a gritty victory over Tonga, which saw Billy Vunipola duffed up by the country of his heritage and Eddie Jones’s side forced to slog it out before wrapping up the bonus point three minutes from time.
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Rugby in 2019 - in pictures 30. RWC Wales vs Georgia - 23 September Wales also made a shaky start to the campaign, though they did what they needed to by beating Georgia and setting themselves up for a showdown with the Wallabies.
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Rugby in 2019 - in pictures 31. RWC Fiji vs Uruguay - 25 September Fiji vs Uruguay was not the story when it came to Kamaishi as the rugby community came together to remember the area so heavily affected by the 2011 tsunami, with the stadium built as a reminder of those who died there on that tragic day eight years ago. Beautiful weather and a stunning backdrop looked down on a poignant game that meant so much to Japan.
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Rugby in 2019 - in pictures 32. RWC Fiji vs Uruguay - 25 September The game served up a fitting performance as the South American side stunned Fiji to record their greatest ever victory.
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Rugby in 2019 - in pictures 33. RWC England vs USA - 26 September England’s campaign continued to slowly tick along as they brushed aside the USA, who were reduced to 14 men when John Quill was sent off for a high tackle on Owen Farrell. It would not be the first time that the England captain was targeted.
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Rugby in 2019 - in pictures 34. RWC Japan vs Ireland - 28 September Japan recorded the upset of the tournament for the second World Cup running as they stormed an Irish side who looked shellshocked at what unfolded before them, sparking wild celebrations across the Land of the Rising Sun. Suddenly, Japan held their fate in their own hands.
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Rugby in 2019 - in pictures 35. RWC Japan vs Ireland - 28 September The pure emotion that poured out of the Japanese players proved a joy to behold.
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Rugby in 2019 - in pictures 36. RWC Australia vs Wales - 29 September Wales held on to a slender advantage to beat the Wallabies in a corker at the Tokyo Stadium, giving Gatland’s side the advantage in Pool D.
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Rugby in 2019 - in pictures 37. RWC Scotland vs Samoa - 30 September Scotland meanwhile got back to winning ways with a convincing victory over Samoa.
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Rugby in 2019 - in pictures 38. RWC New Zealand vs Canada - 2 October The Barrett brothers became the first siblings to have three brothers starting the same World Cup match as Jordie, Scott and Beauden all featured in the landslide victory over Canada for the All Blacks.
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Rugby in 2019 - in pictures 39. RWC England vs Argentina - 5 October Owen Farrell found himself on the end of a second red-card tackle in as many games as Thomas Lavanini was sent off for Argentina in an England victory that guaranteed them a place in the quarter-finals with a game to spare.
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Rugby in 2019 - in pictures 40. RWC England vs Argentina - 5 October The victory would also see Jack Nowell return to action and score immediately, though his World Cup campaign would start and end on the same night in a 12-minute cameo.
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Rugby in 2019 - in pictures 41. RWC Japan vs Samoa - 5 October Japan continued their 100 per cent record with a victory over Samoa to secure a showdown against Scotland in a winner-takes-all contest.
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Rugby in 2019 - in pictures 42. RWC New Zealand vs Namibia - 6 October TJ Perenara finished one of the tries of the tournament as New Zealand overcame a resilient Namibia side to book their place in their last eight.
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Rugby in 2019 - in pictures 43. RWC France vs Tonga - 6 October France survived an almighty scare against Tonga after holding on to victory by just two points to reach the quarter-finals.
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Rugby in 2019 - in pictures 44. RWC Scotland vs Russia - 9 October Scotland nilled Russia to give themselves a chance of making the knockout stage.
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Rugby in 2019 - in pictures 45. RWC Wales vs Fiji - 9 October Wales and Fiji played out one of the games of the World Cup as Warren Gatland’s side just did enough to see off a brutal display from the Pacific Islanders.
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Rugby in 2019 - in pictures 46. RWC Typhoon Hagibis - 10 October However the World Cup suddenly took a back seat as Typhoon Hagibis approached with wind gusts of more than 160mph and a very real threat to life, resulting in World Rugby taking drastic action to cancel matches for the first time.
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Rugby in 2019 - in pictures 47. RWC Typhoon Hagibis - 10 October England’s Pool C decider against France was cancelled, as was New Zealand’s game with Italy and Canada’s match against Namibia.
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Rugby in 2019 - in pictures 48. RWC Typhoon Hagibis - 10 October The devastation from the typhoon left nearly 90 people dead and more missing across Japan.
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Rugby in 2019 - in pictures 49. RWC Japan vs Scotland - 13 October Japan paid tribute to the victims of the typhoon along with the other teams with a moment of silence before kick-off, but somehow the Pool A decider between the hosts and Scotland went ahead as scheduled in Yokohama just hours after Hagibis had torn through.
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Rugby in 2019 - in pictures 50. RWC Japan vs Scotland - 13 October Japan delivered one of the great World Cup performances to reach their quarter-finals for the first time and send Scotland home.
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Rugby in 2019 - in pictures 51. RWC Japan vs Scotland - 13 October The victory was celebrated by the entire nation as the players soaked up their new hero status.
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Rugby in 2019 - in pictures 52. RWC Japan vs Scotland - 13 October The emotion of the victory was clear to see on the faces of the Japanese players, as demonstrated by prop Isileli Nakajima.
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Rugby in 2019 - in pictures 53. RWC England vs Australia - 19 October The first quarter-final saw England deliver a rampant second-half display to defeat Australia.
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Rugby in 2019 - in pictures 54. RWC England vs Australia - 19 October The win was widely celebrated by England as they banished the painful memories of 2015.
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Rugby in 2019 - in pictures 55. RWC England vs Australia - 19 October The win was widely celebrated by England as they banished the painful memories of 2015.
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Rugby in 2019 - in pictures 56. RWC New Zealand vs Ireland - 19 October The All Blacks ran riot against Ireland to book their place in the semi-finals where they would take on England.
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Rugby in 2019 - in pictures 57. RWC New Zealand vs Ireland - 19 October The defeat brought the curtain down on Ireland captain Rory Best’s professional career.
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Rugby in 2019 - in pictures 58. RWC Wales vs France - 20 October France were leading their quarter-final against Wales when lock Sebastien Vahaamahina threw a deliberate elbow at flanker Aaron Wainwright to earn himself a red card.
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Rugby in 2019 - in pictures 59. RWC Wales vs France - 20 October The incident proved the turning point in the match as the numerical advantage gave Wales a way back into the contest.
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Rugby in 2019 - in pictures 60. RWC Wales vs France - 20 October Ross Moriarty scored the crucial try that kept Wales’s World Cup dreams alive.
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Rugby in 2019 - in pictures 61. RWC Japan vs South Africa - 20 October Cheslin Kolbe and Makazole Mapimpi proved the end of Japan’s World Cup campaign as South Africa secured their place in the last four.
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Rugby in 2019 - in pictures 62. RWC Japan vs South Africa - 20 October Japan were inconsolable despite already achieving something that had never been done by the nation before.
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Rugby in 2019 - in pictures 63. RWC Japan vs South Africa -20 October Jamie Joseph’s side had proven the fairy tale story of the World Cup for the second successive tournament.
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Rugby in 2019 - in pictures 64. RWC England vs New Zealand - 26 October The first semi-final started with a bang as England chose to respond to the Haka by forming an inverted V facing the All Blacks.
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Rugby in 2019 - in pictures 65. RWC England vs New Zealand - 26 October Eddie Jones’s side fed off the energy created before kick-off as Manu Tuilagi put them in front inside two minutes to give them a lead they would not relinquish.
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Rugby in 2019 - in pictures 66. RWC England vs New Zealand - 26 October England celebrate one of their greatest victories after ending the All Blacks’s reign as world champions.
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Rugby in 2019 - in pictures 67. RWC Wales vs South Africa - 27 October Japanese fans had no qualms getting behind the remaining teams left in the competition as a number showed their support for Wales.
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Rugby in 2019 - in pictures 68. RWC Wales vs South Africa - 27 October Jake Ball and Faf de Klerk got to know each other as the pair clashed early in the second semi-final.
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Rugby in 2019 - in pictures 69. RWC Wales vs South Africa - 27 October In the end South Africa had too much physicality for Wales as Damian de Allende booked the Springboks’ place in the final.
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Rugby in 2019 - in pictures 70. RWC New Zealand vs Wales - 1 November New Zealand beat Wales in the match no one wanted to play as they clinched third place.
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Rugby in 2019 - in pictures 71. RWC England vs South Africa - 2 November Cheslin Kolbe celebrates scoring the opening try that put South Africa out of reach in the Rugby World Cup final.
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Rugby in 2019 - in pictures 72. RWC England vs South Africa - 2 November Makazole Mapimpi’s effort minutes from full-time condemned England to defeat in the final.
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Rugby in 2019 - in pictures 73. RWC England vs South Africa - 2 November Siya Kolisi became the first black captain to lift the Webb Ellis Cup as South Africa became three-time world champions.
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Rugby in 2019 - in pictures 74. RWC England vs South Africa - 2 November Owen Farrell and his England side were left to ponder what could have been as they suffered World Cup heartbreak.
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Rugby in 2019 - in pictures 75. RWC England vs South Africa - 2 November Billy Vunipola is left battered and bloody from the final as England applaud their defiant fans who remained long after the final whistle.
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Rugby in 2019 - in pictures 76. RWC England vs South Africa - 4 November Siya Kolisi celebrates the Springboks’ World Cup win on their return to South Africa.
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Rugby in 2019 - in pictures 77. Michael Cheika The coaching exodus started as Michael Cheika left his role with the Wallabies in a messy row with Rugby Australia.
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Rugby in 2019 - in pictures 78. Steve Hansen Steve Hansen ended his lengthy reign as New Zealand boss following the third-place finish.
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Rugby in 2019 - in pictures 79. Ian Foster Hansen was eventually replaced by his assistant coach Ian Foster.
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Rugby in 2019 - in pictures 80. Premiership begins - 18 October The Premiership got underway midway through the World Cup as clubs looked to cope without their international players.
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Rugby in 2019 - in pictures 81. Bristol vs Bath - 18 October Bristol opened the season with an impressive victory over close rivals Bath.
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Rugby in 2019 - in pictures 82. Saracens vs Northampton - 19 October Saracens’ cause got even worse as they began their season with a defeat against Northampton Saints.
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Rugby in 2019 - in pictures 83. Bath vs Exeter - 25 October A number of World Cup stars got stuck straight into action, including Stuart Hogg as he made his Exeter debut against Bath just a week after Scotland’s elimination.
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Rugby in 2019 - in pictures 84. Saracens scandal - 4 November Just a day after England returned home from Japan, Saracens found themselves docked 35 points and fined £5.3m for breaching the salary cap in a story that would dominate the headlines for weeks to come.
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Rugby in 2019 - in pictures 85. Dylan Hartley retires The former England captain is forced to quit the sport after failing to recover from the knee injury that had kept him out of the entirety of 2019.
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Rugby in 2019 - in pictures 86. Gloucester vs Toulouse - 15 November The new European season got underway as Toulouse sent out a statement of intent by defeating Gloucester at Kingsholm.
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Rugby in 2019 - in pictures 87. Exeter vs La Rochelle - 16 November Exeter made early in-roads with a dominant display over La Rochelle to spearhead the English attack.
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Rugby in 2019 - in pictures 88. Barbarians vs Fiji Eddie Jones swapped coach’s box at Twickenham as he took charge of the Barbarians against Fiji.
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Rugby in 2019 - in pictures 89. Warren Gatland - 29 November Meanwhile Warren Gatland returned to Cardiff as Baabaas coach the following week to take on the Wales side that he coached to fourth place at the World Cup just a month before.
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Rugby in 2019 - in pictures 90. Wales vs Barbarians New head coach Wayne Pivac gets the better of his predecessor Gatland - just - in an entertaining affair at the Principality Stadium.
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Rugby in 2019 - in pictures 91. Racing 92 vs Munster - 23 November Finn Russell scores an audacious nutmeg try as Racing 92 and Munster play out a thrilling draw in Paris.
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Rugby in 2019 - in pictures 92. Saracens vs Munster The Irish side defeat reigning champions Saracens 10-3 at home, before losing in the return leg a week later when both sets of players were involved in a large brawl.
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Rugby in 2019 - in pictures 93. Northampton vs Leicester - 30 November Northampton Saints record their record victory in the East Midlands derby to go top of the Premiership.
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Rugby in 2019 - in pictures 94. Doddie Weir - 15 December Former Borders, Newcastle and Scotland rugby player Doddie Weir is awarded the Helen Rollason award for his ongoing battle against Motor Neurone Disease and charity work.
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Rugby in 2019 - in pictures 95. Israel Folau The sorry case surrounding Israel Folau finally reached a conclusion as the shamed rugby player reached a multi-million dollar settlement with Rugby Australia over his dismissal.
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Rugby in 2019 - in pictures 96. Leicester Tigers vs Bristol Bears - 21 December Exeter Chiefs go top of the Premiership after fighting back from behind to beat Leicester.
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Rugby in 2019 - in pictures 97. Saracens vs Bristol Bears - 21 December Saracens deliver one of the performances of the season to thrash Bristol Bears.
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Rugby in 2019 - in pictures 98. Bristol Bears vs Wasps Nizaam Carr scores a last-play try to give Wasps a crucial victory at Bristol.
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Rugby in 2019 - in pictures 99. Harlequins vs Leicester Tigers Harlequins took their annual festive 'big game' to Twickenham in their victory over the Tigers.
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“Sale Sharks would like to thank Chris for his efforts whilst at the club and wish him and his family all the best for the future.”
Ashton won the last of his 44 England caps in the Six Nations victory over France last year, though injury cost him his place in Eddie Jones’s squad and he subsequently ruled himself out of contention for the 2019 Rugby World Cup due to family reasons.
Ashton’s immediate exit follows the sudden departure of centre Cameron Redpath, who last month agreed to join Bath despite having three years left to run on his existing deal after the West Country side paid a six-figure transfer fee to spring him from Sale.
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