Watson says England will get a 'world class' head coach with Borthwick

Leicester wing Anthony Watson says England will get a ‘world class’ head coach if the RFU agree a deal for Tigers boss Steve Borthwick… but he is ‘disappointed’ that he won’t be able to continue working with Eddie Jones

  • Tigers boss Steve Borthwick set to succeed sacked Jones as England head coach
  • RFU seeking to agree a compensation package with the Premiership champions
  • Watson was back to his best in Leicester’s win over Ospreys on Sunday
  • He hasn’t played for England this year after knee, hamstring and calf injuries

As a man signed for Leicester by Steve Borthwick and a Test regular under Eddie Jones, Anthony Watson is more than qualified to assess the changing landscape at the top of English rugby.

Tigers boss Borthwick is set to succeed the sacked Jones as England head coach in the near future, once the RFU can agree a compensation package with the current Premiership champions.

Watson hasn’t appeared in an England shirt this year after knee, hamstring and calf injuries.

Steve Borthwick is still focused on his Leicester job despite England speculation

But the 28-year-old, who is a two-time Lions tourist, was back to his best in Leicester’s win over Ospreys.

‘I don’t really want to get caught in the if or when of him (Borthwick) going, but what I will say is that Steve is a world-class coach. He’s outstanding,’ Watson said. ‘He genuinely is an honest bloke and he’ll tell you exactly how it is. Secondly, everything he says is backed up by evidence.

‘I remember in pre-season he came up to me and we were talking about the breakdown. He said he’d watched every one of my carries for the last two or three years.

‘For him to trawl through all that just shows you how dedicated he is. He’s a good man. The whole coaching staff at Leicester are good people. That’s why the lads play for them.’

Tigers boss Borthwick is set to succeed the sacked Eddie Jones as England head coach 

Watson signed for Leicester this summer after recovering from a severe knee injury suffered with previous club Bath. Like England’s autumn captain Owen Farrell, Watson has expressed his disappointment at the RFU’s decision to part ways with Jones after a poor November campaign.

Farrell said the departure of the controversial Jones was ‘unbelievably disappointing’.

Watson added: ‘I’d like to say a massive thank you to Eddie. He’s another world-class coach and a world-class human. He gets a lot of s*** but there are very few people who can see the bigger picture like him. He was the first to call me to see how my ACL recovery was progressing.

‘I’m disappointed I won’t be able to continue to work with him. There aren’t many people who give their entire lives to rugby like Eddie does. We saw it first-hand. It’s distressing to see someone give up so much and then get so much heat from outside when he’s dedicated his life to the game.’

Anthony Watson was back to his best in Leicester’s 23-17 win over Ospreys on Sunday

The RFU want Borthwick in the England hotseat in time for next year’s Six Nations where Watson is likely to be pushing hard for inclusion. He was outstanding at full-back against the Ospreys in the Champions Cup, scoring a scintillating solo try as part of an impressive all-round display.

When fully fit, Watson remains one of the best backs in English rugby.

‘I want to help this team win. If that gets me back into the England squad, then cool. If it doesn’t, that’s life,’ Watson said.’I’m not putting unnecessary pressure on myself to get back into that squad. I just want to enjoy my rugby for a period.’

Watson’s try in Swansea, which began with a brilliant sidestep, showed exactly what he can do and was a reward for months of hard work done with specialist sprint consultant Al Murdoch.

Watson hasn’t appeared in an England shirt this year after knee, hamstring and calf injuries 

‘I’ve worked a lot on that to be honest with you,’ Watson said.

‘I’ve been overfocusing on using that left foot because with an ACL injury it takes a bit of time to get that confidence back.

‘From that perspective I’m definitely happy I was able to do that stepping off my left side. Me and Al pretty much spent every day together for six or seven months. He’s been a mentor.

‘That’s something that has put me in good stead.’




Share this article

Source: Read Full Article