England wing’s ‘appealing’ reason for staying in the Premiership after ‘rubbish’ Rugby World Cup

England back Anthony Watson insists that remaining in the Premiership and competing for Test caps has always been his primary motivation.

The wing admitted that he was “very close” to signing for Castres after initially being let go by Leicester Tigers, but then re-signed for the Midlands outfit with the help of the Rugby Football Union.

Leicester did not have the funds to keep hold of Watson but, after the governing body stepped in to offer him a temporary training contract until December, the 29-year-old eventually agreed a deal with the Tigers.

Stress

“Going through two very stressful contract seasons, to have the stability of not having to worry about it for the next 12 months is very appealing,” he told the Mail on Sunday. “It allows me to just plug into what we’re doing here at Leicester and really buy into what’s going on.

“I was playing in the Six Nations and I got told a couple of days before the Wales game that I wasn’t able to be kept here.

“There was a six to eight-week period that was the most stressed I’d ever been in my life. I didn’t know where I was going to be next year and I couldn’t prepare for anything.

“Luckily, the RFU came in and said it’s been done in the past. James Haskell and Ben Te’o didn’t have clubs going into the World Cup and the RFU came in and said we don’t want you to be worrying about your monthly income.

“They gave me a training contract until December and I’m so appreciative to the RFU for doing that. Without them, I would 100 per cent be in Castres right now. That’s the reality of what would have happened. I was very close to going.”

Watson was expected to play a big role for England during the Rugby World Cup, only for a calf injury to rule him out of the entirety of the tournament.

He has since returned to full fitness and made his Leicester comeback in the Champions Cup victory over Stade Francais before featuring against Exeter Chiefs last weekend.

The speedster was absent for Sunday’s encounter with Bath but is looking to get himself into the Test reckoning ahead of the Six Nations.

Desire and motivation

“Missing the World Cup was rubbish but there’s always positives. It gave me the time to spend time with my family,” he said.

“You’ve got to take the rough with the smooth and I don’t need any more motivation to play for England. It’s one of the main reasons I stayed in this country. I just need to play as much as possible for as long as possible.

“In the end, it was my desire to win stuff here and continue playing for England, trying to win the league. That’s all I’ve wanted to do since I was a kid, playing for England and playing for the Lions and that type of stuff.

“Yeah, the money might have been better, earning a few extra quid in France, but for me that wasn’t my main motivation.”

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