WATSON NIGHTMARE
England flyer is out for six months with achilles tear
ANTHONY Watson was last night coming to terms with the shattering news that he faces six months out after a scan revealed that he tore an achilles against Ireland on Saturday.
Bath’s 24- year-ear- old Lions flyer has been ruled out for the rest of this season and also summer England’s gr tour of South Africa.
That is a grim bulletin for Eddie Jones, who will Wat be without Watson, Courtney Lawes and Nathan Hughes — and potentially a host of rested Lions — as they seek to ignite a revival after their Six Nations slump.
Having been selected to start at full back against the Irish, Watson was injured in the 34th minute at Twickenham. He carried the ball during an England attack but remained on the ground clutching his left ankle. Following treatment, he was helped on to a buggy and replaced by Mike Brown. After the match, Jones described the situation as ‘ not good’. Yesterday evening, MAILONLINE broke the story that Watson had had a scan which confirmed theth worst- case scenario: a tear rather than a strain. A realistic objective will be to return in time for the early weeks of thet 2018-19 campaign campaign with Bath. His club will miss him possibly even more than his country. Bath have been hit-and-miss under Todd Blackadder so they can scarcely afford to be without a predatory back capable of carving open the best defences in domestic and European rugby. Blackadder said: ‘Anthony has been in superb form this year and we’re obviously really disappointed to have lost him at a critical part of the season.’
Jones will have to rethink his plans at full back ahead of his team’s series opener against South Africa in Johannesburg on June 9.
He could turn back to the familiar figure of Brown, knowing the 32-year- old Harlequin will be fervently committed and will relish abrasive confrontations with his assistants South Africa. could Or opt Jones to experiment and with Elliot Daly at No 15. The Wasps player has earned the right to be a starting certainty. He has been outstanding on the wing and has the vision and all-round game to thrive in a more central, varied role. Whatever course of action England take, they will rue the absence of Watson, a potent finisher who has scored 15 tries in 33 Tests for his country.
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