Watson ruled out for month with knee injury
Anthony Watson will be out for a month after tearing the medial collateral ligament in his right knee during Bath’s 15-9 defeat by Harlequins in the Champions Cup at the Twickenham Stoop last Saturday.
Watson sustained the injury in the 75th minute of his first game since England’s run to the final of the World Cup.
The full-back twisted awkwardly in a tackle from Harlequins backrower Semi Kunatani before being body-checked by Elia Elia, who received a yellow card.
Although Watson attempted to continue after treatment, he limped off three minutes later. A club statement said that he would “return to full training around the Christmas/ new year period”.
Watson, who had battled back to fitness and form following a double rupture of his Achilles tendon in March 2018, will not require surgery and has already begun his rehabilitation.
Stuart Hooper, the Bath director of rugby, has already lost another England back-three player, wing Joe Cokanasiga, for a large chunk of this season after the 22-year-old returned from the World Cup unable to train. Even so, Hooper was upbeat about Watson’s setback. “The collision-based demands of our game are tough and it is never easy to see a player leave the field with an injury,” he said. “We are pleased, however, that in Anthony’s case, his injury is not as serious as first thought.”
Club captain Charlie Ewels also sustained a knee injury against Harlequins, and Hooper confirmed that the lock was awaiting the result of scans.
Ben Te’o, the former England centre, will be one of Sunwolves’ 15 players for next season in Japanese Super Rugby. Te’o, playing for Toulon in France on a short-term contract, will be coached by Naoya Okubo, the first Japanese coach in Super Rugby, as the Sunwolves play their final season before the competition is cut to 14 teams in 2021.