Ashe driven by PRO12 pain

Editor

Glasgow back-row Adam Ashe is keen to turn his PRO12 final non-selection heartache into a positive as World Cup training continues for Scotland.

Ashe, who played in the semi-final win over Ulster but was then left out of the PRO12 final against Munster, said his omission was a difficult pill to swallow.

"It was a tough time for me, obviously playing in the semi-final and then missing out for the final," the 21-year-old forward explained to PRO12rugby.com.

"Gregor (Townsend) spoke to me and gave his reasons why. I've just got to use it as a learning experience; at Glasgow now you've got to be at the top of your game every time you pull the shirt on.

"Gregor said he felt my form had dipped slightly in the couple of previous games. It didn't drop a lot, but just two or three per cent was enough for him to make the decision on that occasion.

"A lot of people said to me it was a harsh decision in some ways, but that's how it goes. Some people are going to miss out and be disappointed.

"Although I was disappointed I watched the game and saw that Gregor had got it right. 

"You've got to put the team first in these situations. You want them to win and do well – and they did. We all played our part in getting us there."

Ashe has five Scotland caps to his name and is determined to add to that tally during the upcoming Rugby World Cup as the selection race heats up, with Glasgow's recent PRO12 success giving the players in camp a boost.

"For us to win the Guinness PRO12 and Edinburgh to get to that European final is fantastic," he added.

"It does a lot for the country, gives everyone confidence and tells us that we're up there at club level so why can't we be up there at national level? Hopefully we can use it going into this campaign."