Exclusive: Anthony Watson eyeing January return

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England and Bath wing Anthony Watson spoke to Planet Rugby to discuss a variety of topics around club and country, as well as his recovery from injury.

It is fair to say that it has been a mixed year for Watson. From the highs of helping the British and Irish Lions to a landmark draw with New Zealand to the lows of being forced off against Ireland in the Six Nations with a nasty ankle injury, the England and Bath man has endured both ends of the sporting spectrum.

Watson had an operation to correct the issue, which kept him out of the latter stages of the previous campaign, only to suffer a recurrence of the problem. A further spell on the sidelines has duly ensued with the back three player likely to be out for the rest of 2018.

It is a blow for club and country but the individual himself is remaining positive. Recovery is well underway and the Six Nations is a realistic target for a wing who impressed against the All Blacks in 2017.

“I’m pretty happy with how it is right now,” he told Planet Rugby ahead of appearing on BT Sport’s Rugby Tonight show last week. “It’s getting there slowly, it’s going to take a while for me to get my calf strength back, which could be the limiting factor in terms of the timeframe for me.

“For me personally, I like to set a target with my injuries so I’m hoping to be back around mid-January. I’ve still got a few months to go but I’m most looking forward to getting back running or doing something active.

“I want to get back playing for Bath first and foremost and then I want to get back playing well. We’ll then see what happens with the England stuff. If I’m fit and playing well in time for the Six Nations then happy days, if I’m not and need longer, so be it, it’s for the best.”

Watson will be forced to sit out the opening half of Bath’s campaign and he has seen them endure an inauspicious start to 2018/19. Defeat to newly-promoted Bristol was followed by an unimpressive draw at home to Gloucester before they got their season up and running against Harlequins. Their 37-32 bonus-point triumph over the Londoners certainly eased the pressure on Bath and their head coach Todd Blackadder, who is tasked with leading them into the top-four, but there were frustrations over their opening two matches.

The England man said: “I can speak for the team when I say it had not been good enough, you’ve got no excuses really. We should have won that first game and you can’t go 21-0 down, especially at home against Gloucester, and expect to come back and win the game.

“It’s a bit of a catch 22. We were happy that we managed to salvage a draw from it but it’s unacceptable to go 21-0 down.”

Injuries crippled the West Countrymen in 2017/18 and they have suffered their fair share of issues so far this season. Alongside Watson, England team-mate Jonathan Joseph is another long-term absentee, while first team stalwarts Kahn Fotuali’i, Ross Batty, Max Lahiff and Beno Obano are also out.

Last year, that may have significantly hampered their chances but they appear more prepared for the rigours of the Premiership this time around.

“We’ve got Jackson Willison, who’s stepped in at 13, and I think that he’s been one of our standout backs, along with Joe Cokanasiga; those two add a different dimension that we didn’t have last year,” he added.

“Playing at full-back, Tom Homer is a guy I work closely with and, although he didn’t have the best start to the season with that Bristol non-try, I think he’s a world-class player. We’ve definitely got more than enough strength-in-depth to be able to compete.”

As Watson intimated, Bath’s new backline additions have already stamped their mark on the club, with Joe Cokanasiga particularly catching the eye. At 6ft 4in and 17st 9lb, the Fijian-born wing has all the physical attributes to be a dominant force in the game, but it was his dexterity in finishing the West Countrymen’s third try against Quins which displayed the 20-year-old’s range of skills.

“He’s a world-class player,” Watson said. “He’s got great footwork, he’s big, he’s strong, he’s fast and his development is just going to come from playing.

“The more game time he gets under his belt for Bath this year, the better it will be and I have no doubt that he will be pushing and playing for England, sooner rather than later.”

Should Eddie Jones come calling and Cokanasiga is drafted into the squad, it will add to an already congested position. The list of quality wings is seemingly endless but Watson believes that it is not just the back three which is strong in English rugby.

“The strength-in-depth across English rugby is pretty good in every position,” he added. “The back three has been competitive for a while now. All these position issues or selection issues for Eddie is only good for English rugby and it’s good for individuals as well – it pushes them to be better and pushes them to try and maximise their talents.”

BT Sport brings you the moments that matter this season. Rugby Tonight brings you debate and action from the world of rugby. Coverage is on Wednesdays, typically on BT Sport 1 from 8pm BST. Watch live on TV and via the award winning BT Sport App. bt.com/sport

by Colin Newboult

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