Chris Ashton has vowed to repay England head coach Stuart Lancaster for sticking with him on the international stage despite his mixed form over the past year.

The wing is starting to find his best form again for Saracens in the Aviva Premiership having enjoyed a summer off from rugby, after failing to make the British and Irish Lions squad before being left at home for a youthful Red Rose tour of South America.

"The good thing about rugby is you always get next week," Ashton told The Express. "You think it's gone and try to forget about it, but it still wasn't clicking.

"I thought I was lucky to stay on the team. Thanks to Stuart for sticking with me right to the end. I have to repay that faith. When I went back to Saracens, Mark McCall told me to relax and get back to enjoying my rugby. He was the first one to say that.

"It has been a while. I wouldn't say I'm nervous, though I'm sure I will be before the game. The last time I played was against Wales and that didn't go too well for me or the team. In Saturday's game we all have to put a marker down, certainly on a personal level after how the previous game went. It's up to me to do well enough that I make sure no one is calling for me to be dropped."

England host Australia at Twickenham on Saturday.