Six Nations double blow for England
EXCLUSIVE
ENGLAND are resigned to being without Bath backs Jonathan Joseph and Anthony Watson for the whole of the Six Nations, as the pair have suffered delays in their recovery from serious injuries.
Joseph, aged 27, and Watson, 24, who can operate on the wing or at full-back, appear destined to stay in enforced Test exile for up to 17 months. Both men last represented England in last year’s Six Nations finale against Ireland, but now they face the prospect of having to wait until August for the opportunity to claim their next caps, in the World Cup warm-up fixtures.
As recently as the end of November, the prognosis was cautiously optimistic. Joseph was expected to be available by Christmas, while Watson was seemingly on course to return by late January or early February. However, Sportsmail understands that they are both struggling to make the final steps towards full fitness and neither are currently considered to be in contention for Six Nations selection.
Bath’s director of rugby, Todd Blackadder hinted at the delays which are affecting Joseph’s recovery: ‘We get him up to where we think he’ll be good to go and he’s not quite there. It’s just a bit of a wait and see game.’
Watson tore his Achilles against Ireland last March in the game which ended with Joe Schmidt’s men claiming the Grand Slam.
The Lions flier had surgery, but according to Blackadder it didn’t ‘take’ properly and he subsequently suffered another tear, in July, while taking part in a photoshoot with NFL players.
That led to another operation and the realisation that Watson would miss England’s autumn campaign and the rest of the calendar year.
Joseph was injured weeks after the Six Nations, playing for Bath. An ankle problem led to initial claims from his club that he would be out of action for three months, but he too needed a second round of surgery and the rehabilitation phase has since dragged on.
The likelihood of missing another campaign with England will leave Joseph feeling especially uncomfortable in this World Cup year. He has been a mainstay of the side’s back line during Eddie Jones’s tenure as head coach, but his absence has coincided with Manu Tuilagi coming back into the Test squad with designs on the No 13 shirt.
With Henry Slade another pedigree candidate at outside centre, Joseph will want to be fit to fight for his place.
In Watson’s case, his long-term injury has curtailed the experiment of England deploying him at full-back, where he has played so often for Bath.
He has regularly demonstrated his predatory instincts out wide, but the 15 role may have proved a good fit. Instead, Jones has opted to use Elliot Daly in that position, although the strategy has not been a resounding success thus far.
One implication of the delay in Watson’s return is that it may provide fresh hope for Mike Brown, in relation to World Cup selection. The veteran Harlequins full-back fell out of favour during the autumn, but in light of Daly’s hitand-miss efforts and Watson’s ongoing exile, Brown may find himself back in the mix for the Six Nations.
There may be better news for England and for Bath in relation to flanker Sam Underhill. The hard-hitting openside went off with a damaged ankle during the win over Leicester, but Sportsmail understands that, as yet, the injury is not thought to be serious and Underhill should be fit and available for the start of the Six Nations — barring any further mishaps.